Tag Archives: coronavirus

Protect Your dog from these seasonal dangers!

Image by jwvein from Pixabay 

‘Tis the season!

More specifically, it’s that time of year to proactively protect your dog (and of course other pets) from seasonal dangers! While many of the dangers are associated with the Holiday Season, not all of them are. Just as many hazards are associated with the Fall and Winter Seasons. Keep reading below to learn how to best protect your beloved pet from all seasonal hazards!

 

Pet Dangers Associated with Fall/Winter

The Fall season presents a variety of potential dangers to our dogs (and pets)! One in particular with most kids being home-schooled due to the Coronavirus. 

Keep School Supplies Away from Pets!

                    Gábor Adonyi from Pixabay

School Supplies

Keep curious noses and paws away from common school supplies like glue sticks, pencils and pens, crayons and scented magic markers! Smaller items are even more dangerous because it only takes a second for a pet to ingest things like small erasers, staples, batteries, pushpins, paper and binder clips, rubber bands, magnets and more. Although many of these items may not present a toxic threat, stomach upset and blockages are possible if your pet ingests one of these items! Remember, dogs explore their world first with their nose and then their mouths! 

Snacks

Empty Snack Bags Can Suffocate Pets

          Benjamin Sz-J. from Pixabay

Another danger associated with homeschooling kids includes snacks and drinks. Many snacks while tasty for our kids, can pose a threat to nosy K9s! Grapes and raisins, salty pretzels and popcorn and even empty potato chip and other snack bags can pose a suffocation threat to pets who unknowingly put their heads inside the bag to lick the salt or eat up the crumbs! Once inside the bag, your pet’s breathing can tighten the empty bag around their throat and it may be too late before you notice it!

Many snacks also contain the sugar-free sweetener called xylitol. While not harmful to humans, this popular additive IS toxic to dogs and is found in a variety of candy, gum, mints, snacks, cookies and even sodas. So read all labels carefully and keep all snacks and drinks out of reach from your dog!

 
Click here to Learn the 11+ Surprising Products That Contain Xylitol

 

    R Schönbrodt-Rühl from Pixabay

Autumn also poses other potential dangers including:

  • Snakes getting ready to hibernate,
  • Mushrooms ready to harvest, and even 
  • Piles of raked leaves!

Your dog may not be the only creature who loves leaf piles! Unfortunately, you may not see them until they have latched onto your pet. Insects like ticks, earwigs, spiders and centipedes love to hide in these piles for shelter, warmth and breeding. Even snakes and rodents may take up residence in leaf piles.

Avoidance is the best way to protect your dog from what lurks in leaf piles. But, if your dog or other pet gets into a pile of leaves, bathe and then carefully inspect and remove any insects trying to hitch a ride!

Getting Ready for Winter 

                  Shutterbug75 from Pixabay

Many of our winterizing preparations can cause toxic harm to our dogs and other pets. These include:

  • The use of rat and mouse poisons/rodenticides
  • Engine coolant/antifreeze spills 
  • Rock salt and other ice-melting products like water softener salt pellets; homemade deicers with dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and warm water; or a water and vinegar mix; or fireplace ashes.

 

Pet Dangers Associated with the Holidays

         S Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay

The holidays are right around the corner and that means some additional seasonal hazards for your beloved pets.

Toxic and Poisonous Holiday Plants

  • Mistletoe
  • Amaryllis
  • Lilies (for cats)
  • Holly & Berries 
  • Daffodils (especially the bulbs)
  • Note: Traditionally, poinsettias have been considered poisonous to pets. Actually, they are non-to-mildly toxic and prone to giving your pet a mild rash if they brush against it or mild stomach discomfort if they ingest it.
  • Christmas Trees & Plants treated with a pesticide pose a serious risk (and potential death) to young pets including puppies and kittens. 

Other Toxic Items

      PublicDomainPictures                 from Pixabay

Batteries: Traditionally, dogs ingest MORE batteries around Christmas than any other time of the year! Keep both old and new batteries out of reach!

Potpourri: Often a good-smelling temptation for your pet that contains toxic essential oils, chemical perfumes, pine cones, dried fruit, cloves and flowers. Bottom line, potpourri poses not only a choking hazard but pose potential poisoning for your pet. Keep it high and out of reach! (This includes all liquid potpourri too.)

Popcorn Strings, Tinsel and Ribbons: If your dog or cat gets hold of strings of popcorn, ribbons, strings or tinsel, there is a strong possibility of choking! 

Ornaments and Decorations: Pets are dazzled by ornaments and decorations as much as their human guardians. But curious noses, paws and mouths can mean trouble! For the best protection, block off access to the Christmas, decorations, candles, pine needles and gifts when you cannot closely supervise your pets. Place breakable decorations higher on the tree or shelves to protect your pets if they break. Also, never hang homemade salt dough ornaments on the tree … they can actually kill your pets if ingested!

Trash: Keep all trash locked away and tightly secured from curious noses and mouths. Special holiday foods can spell trouble for your nosy and hungry pets and even wildlife!

Holiday Foods That Are Off-Limits for Your Pets!

This alphabetical list below is by no means exclusive, but it will go a long way in protecting the pets in your home at the holidays!

BlueCheeseAndGrapesAreToxicToPets

   Linda Roisum from Pixabay

  • Alcoholic drinks (including egg nog, beer, wine and other spirits)
  • Artificial sweetener called xylitol
  • Blue cheese
  • Bread Dough (raw, not baked)
  • Caffeine (including coffee, tea and chocolate)
  • Chocolate, cocoa, chocolate coins
  • Cooked bones and corn cobs
  • Dairy (including butter, milk, cream and cheese)
  • Desserts
  • Dressings
  • Fatty meat scraps and skin, drippings and gravy
  • Fruitcake, mince pie and Christmas/Plum puddings
  • Grapes, raisins and currants
  • Ham (including bones), bacon and sausage
  • Hanukkah doughnuts: Sufganiyot
    KeepStuffingAwayFromPets

      Marlita Annette from Pixabay

  • Hanukkah potato pancakes: Latkes 
  • Hanukkah pastry: Rugelach 
  • Macadamia nuts 
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions, leeks, chives, garlic and scallions
  • Pistachios
  • Spices (including sage, baking powder and soda, nutmeg)
  • Stuffing
  • Walnuts

Keep this blog handy as you plan and celebrate the holidays safely with family and pets!

Taking Care of our Dogs During Coronavirus

Greetings from Bella and Dublin!

Woofs from Bella and Dublin!

It’s definitely a crazy time and lots of conflicting information coupled with lots of uncertainty!

Like you, we are hunkered down here in Northern Nevada and waiting for the “all clear” signal to go back to living our lives “normally.”

But in the meantime, I’m bonding even closer with the fur-kids (IF that’s even possible!), learning a lot through webinars and taking a serious look at new, creative ways to do business to minimize personal contact. Yes, it often feels frustrating and very uncertain, but times of hardship and “necessity” are invaluable in ramping up new ways of doing things!

I’m sure, like me, you’ve heard more than enough about the coronavirus! I would like to (quickly) address just one area to hopefully dispel some misinformation and stop the unfortunate actions on the part of some pet owners. This is from our upcoming April newsletter.

 

Can My Pet Get and Pass Along Coronavirus?

Sadly, there are reports of people abandoning their pets because of the unfounded belief that their dogs and cats can get, carry and transmit the coronavirus.

In a nutshell, this is not true and there is NO evidence backing up this claim. So please keep your pet in your home with you where they belong.


CLARIFICATION: There IS a Canine Coronavirus (CCV), but the current outbreak has nothing to do with the CCV virus.

Can My Pet Transmit Coronavirus?


The WHO, CDC, AVMA and AKC all agree there is no imminent threat from our pets for transmitting the Coronavirus. The CDC says the virus is spreading from person-to-person only. The AVMA also assures that petting a dog’s fur is low-risk because the virus survives best on smooth surfaces.

 

Remember, the coronavirus is transmitted via respiratory droplets from human-to-human. So follow the AKC’s advice to consistently follow basic hygiene in thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water before and after contact with any pet. 

 

For further information, watch the “COVID-19 Update on Pets” video with Rodney Habib, Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. Sarah Caddy of the University of Cambridge.

Ok, ’nuff said!

 

Play and Engage Your Dog!

The pets of our lives enhance and enrich our lives especially in uncertain times like these!

Instead of stressing out over every news report, spend extra quality time with your beloved pet and enhance your overall Engage Your Dog With Some New Tricks!relationship and bond! Below are some great ideas to keep you and your dog active even as you shelter-in-place.

People-Oriented Dog Play

    1. Hide-and-Seek
    2. Tug-of-War

Object-Oriented Dog Play

    1. Find It
    2. Put it Away
    3. Fetch

Task-Oriented Dog Play

    1. Tricks
    2. Puzzle-Solving
    3. Dig Here

To learn more about other games to play with your resident canine, click on the links below.

 


As we all move through this uncertain time, stay safe, healthy and positive. Remember, this too shall pass.

Remember, this too shall pass.