Is Your Home Safe?
Is Your Home Safe?
Sounds wonderful and familiar, right? But every one of these perfectly natural doggy activities can be harmful or even fatal to your pet.
Let's join your dog in his favorite room, the kitchen. Filled with tantalizing odors and tastes, the gathering place of his human "pack" and home of his beloved food bowl, the kitchen is also full of potential dangers. Most folds store remarkably large quantities of cleaning and household chemicals in the kitchen, often in a lower cabinet. Many dogs easily learn to open cabinets, tipping over containers, breaking glass jars, or knocking off loose bottle lids. Intrigues by the various fascinating scents, a dog is likely to lap up a lethal dose of chemical cleaner or snack on a dirty sponge or a few crunchy scouring pads.
Solution- Put inexpensive, childproof locks on all cabinets that contain anything that might interest, or harm, your dog. A second solution is to reconsider your housecleaning strategies. Rather than using caustic chemicals, consider cleaning with steam. A number of new appliances are available that heat tap water to steam, and not only super clean, but also sterilize, any surface in your home.
The kitchen garbage pail is full of potential dangers. Even a cover cannot deter a clever canine. The dog's family may be dreading the mess of greasy wrappers and gnawed bones, but they really should be more concerned about the molds, bacteria, and toxins. Depending on the specific bacteria or molds, the symptoms may range from obvious pain or abdominal distress to diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes accompanied by lethargy, depression, or seizures.
Other edible dangers may lie in other rooms of the house. Dogs who eat even one penny minted after 1983 or metal game tokens (especially Monopoly pieces) risk zinc toxicity. Lead drapery weights or fishing sinkers can cause lead poisoning, as can snacking on lead paint chips. Small, sharp objects can also cause mouth or tooth damage, internal blockages, or even intestinal punctures.
It's almost a cliché that dogs love to drink out of the toilet. No matter how amusing or harmless this seems, it's a good practice to keep the lid down. Roscoe may be lapping up not only water, but also a nasty brew of bacteria and harsh cleaning chemicals. Satisfy his thirst by keeping at least two bowls of cool, fresh water available at all times. Clean the drinking bowls daily, scrubbing as necessary with hot water, no soap, to remove scum. In hot weather, add ice cubes, or keep the water bowl where it will stay cool and inviting.
Now let's follow Roscoe as he bounds out to the garage, where we certainly don't want to see any evidence of auto fluid spills, especially antifreeze. Antifreeze is a very fast poison requiring an immediate trip to the vet.
Don't tempt your dog's natural curiosity! Lock away garden fertilizers, pesticides, pool chemicals, and auto supplies like oil and gasoline in adequately ventilated storage areas behind a door with a secure latch.
Frequently review and practice the basic control commands you learned in obedience training classes. Your pet's automatic compliance may one day save his life. Whether they're running loose or on leash, dogs can pick up all sorts of harmful substances on their paws, from road salt to sticky tar, spilled oil or organic waste. Your dog will inevitably eat them if they're not immediately removed. After every walk or outdoor play session, check your dog's paw pads and between his toes for those substances, and for burrs, small rocks, or thorns.
Keep all animals off and away from newly fertilized or chemically treated lawns for at least 24 hours, longer if possible. The lawn should be completely dry before anyone, or any species goes near it.
The five most crucial commands
for a dog to know are "Wait", "Down", "Leave It", and "Give". "Wait"
should be strongly impressed on a dog so that there is no rushing through
open doors. "Down" might save a life in circumstances where calling
your dog to you would be fatal, but keeping him in one place will save
the day. "Come" is a command that should be known by all dogs, but
never call your dog to you for punishment or something the dog sees as
a bad thing, like a bath or nail clipping. "Come" should be a fun,
rewarding situation in everyday circumstances. The "Leave It" command
is great because you keep your dog from picking up things off the ground.
"Give" is the related command, because humans aren't always fast enough
to get out "Leave It" before the dog actually has something in their mouth.
A dog should give anything, including food and highly values toys, on the
"Give" command.
|
|
|
|