Every season comes with different surprises - and different safety hazards. To avoid this season's dangers for your pet, read our Autumn Safety Hazards:
- Leaves - If you have a puppy, dead leaves can be a choking hazard because, as we all know, puppies love to chew on EVERYTHING in sight (especially if the leaves are dancing around in the air provokingly)! Raking is a tedious task that, let's admit it, most of us brush off until the first snow, but maybe you'll be a little more motivated if it means the safety of your beloved pooch. You don't have to completely clear your property of the leaves - (oh, wouldn't we all just love that...) - that would take hours! Just try and keep the majority of them off the front porch, or wherever your puppy likes to play. Also, don't kick them around or jump in piles of leaves; if your dog sees anyone making them into a toy or something fun, their curiosity increases and they want to do that too.
- Halloween - It is SO important to make sure your porch and yard of clear of any candy wrappers or bits of chocolate after halloween. Small hard candies and gum are choking hazards, especially if you have a puppy (but what isn't a choking hazard when you have a puppy?!). Also, Chocolate is very harmful to your dog. See Good To Know #7. Shiny wrappers are bad, too. They catch your dogs eye and curiosity, and soon they're chewing or swallowing it, which is very dangerous. It's not too hard, and most people do it anyway, but just make sure these items are removed from your property (and in a covered trash) as soon as possible.
- Rodenticides - When the air becomes chilly and windy, mice and rats travel indoors to a warmer environment. Putting rodenticides out will get rid of the pesky creatures (which never seems to be possible, does it?) but could also be extremely dangerous to your pup. Cholecalciferol, bromethalin, anticoagulants, and phosphides are the four types of poison, and each one has the potential to be fatal to your pooch.
- Allergies - Autumn comes with new allergies! Ragweed, grass, mold, and dust are the four most common sources of both animal and human allergies in autumn. If your dog is scratching, sneezing, chewing, coughing, biting, or has watery eyes, hives, or rashes, talk to your vet. Some of the symptoms are just the come-and-go seasonal Autumn allergies, but some may need more attention.
- Mushrooms - Now that the hot, dry days are behind us, the air is becoming a little bit more moist and more mushrooms are sprouting. They are a nice sign of autumn approaching, but ALL of them are toxic to dogs. As we all know, dogs love to explore and eat. Check your yard and garden for mushrooms, especially small brown mushrooms and parasol-shaped mushrooms, and rid your property of them. If you're growing them, fence them off. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, severe digestive problems, and complete liver failure.
- Ticks - As the weather gets cooler, deer ticks (the ones that spread lyme disease) become more active. Be sure to take precautions to keep these pests off your beloved pooch. Talk to your vet about the best way to protect your dog from ticks.
Be sure to follow these precautions to make sure you have a great (and safe) Autumn with your dog!
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