Pet Proofing Your Home

With the first week of spring unseasonably wet, windy and cool, I decided to side step a landscape topic for something we have in common with most of our clients-our pets.
One good client in Sherwood, OR had a complete back yard renovation mainly with their dogs in mind. We removed the lawn and installed an interesting rock garden, with plants non-toxic to dogs. A paver walkway in a U-shape attracts their dogs to run around the garden instead of through it. The design is finished off with rubber bark and smaller rock cobbles to provide a clean look without any tracking of debris into the home.

    

Our dog (and cat) are like children to us, so it makes common sense that our four-legged family members are kept safe by following some simple ways to keep dangerous items out of their reach.

The Kitchen:

Many of us allow their dogs to vacuum   up food scraps that fall from the countertops, table, or our own hands.
Certain foods like grapes, and their relatives, raisins, and currents are very toxic to dogs.They can result in kidney failure when ingested. Don't forget other less obvious places you   might find these fruits, such s cereal, trailmix, baked goods, and grape juice.

Chocolate, especially dark, or the kind used in baking is another potential danger when ingested. Vomiting, diarrhea, hart arrhythmias, and even tremors or seizures may occur when dogs eat chocolate.

Artificial sweetners, especially Xylitol found in baking and sugar-free gum, candies, mints, and other items,can result in a low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, and potential liver failure in dogs when ingested in large quantities.

Finally, fatty table scrapes, onions, garlic, compost and moldy food, macadamia nuts, coffee beans and grounds, unbaked bread dough, and alcohol, can pose a threat to your pet.

The Bathroom:

Make sure all chemicals such as cleaning supplies, vitamins, medications and supplements are stored in an elevated medicine cabinet.
Keep the toilet seat down. This is especially true if you use an automatic bowl cleaner. These products contain concentrated corrosives, which could result in oral burns to the mouth. If your dog or cat drinks out of the toilet, avoid any of these cleaning products.

The Bedroom:

You may think this is a safe haven for your pet. Sleep medications, jewelry, coins,moth balls,or other small objects can cause harm to pets. Ribbons are especially attractive to cats but can cause intestinal obstruction.

The Living Room:

Certain plants and flowers can be deadly to your dog or cat. Sago palms, certain types of lilies commonly found in florist bouquets cause severe kidney failure in cats. True lilies-EAster, tiger, Asiatic hybrid, and daylilies- area ll deadly to cats. Calla lilies and peace lilies will result in mild gastrointestinal upset, drooling, and vomiting.
     Potpourri or air fresheners while they get the job done can also cause oral burns or organ injury resulting from a few  licks of liquid potpourri on a simmer pot.

      Remote control and cell phone batteries contain dangerous corrosives when chewed or ingested.

Any product with nicotine, cigarette butts, cigars, smoking cessation packages and gum cause severe vomitting, heart arrhythmias, hypertension, tremors, seizures, and even fatalities.

     Electronic cords, cushion stuffing, tops of shoes, sewing needles and thread  are often chewed on or swallowed by small animals causing immediate attention.

The Garage and Yard:

We all know too well that poisons for the yard which are often stored in the  garage can be harmful to our pets.
Even compost bins in the yard pose a threat. Ingestion of compost or moldy foods can result in severe poisoning due to the tremorgenic mycotoxins or neurotoxins. This leads to drooling, vomiting, tremors, seizures and hyperthermia.

Common sense will keep your pet safe by following a few simple steps:
Keep all dangerous liquids, chemicals, etc out of the pets reach
Read the labels to make sure a product will not harm your pet if swallowed.
Avoid the use of mouse and rat poisoning which can poison your pet too.
Take care of spills immediately. Place cat litter over spill to absorb the liquid,  then wipe clean,  and dilute area with several gallons of water.

Pet- proofing your home, yard,and garage will ensure that your pet will live a long healthy life. Only you can prevent accidents when it comes to your pets.