As pet owners, we have our work cut out for us. We are not only tasked with maintaining the overall health and wellness of our furry friends—it’s essential for us to preserve their happiness and comfort too.
However, none of this is possible without keeping safety in mind. Keeping pets out of trouble can be a challenge! By reducing possible exposure to toxins, you can prevent pet poisoning. Knowing how to store household cleaners, medications, and other hazards can go a long way towards keeping your furry friends safe from unnecessary toxin exposure.
Making Pet Poisons Inaccessible
There are potential risks to your pet’s health and safety around the house, in the backyard, and throughout your neighborhood. Likewise, if your pet ever visits the homes of other people or travels with you to public locations, they are more likely to encounter potential dangers.
Say No to Toxins
Your defense against a possible pet poisoning should be multifaceted. It’s helpful to train your pet to stay away from certain things—or areas of the house and yard—but we know that’s not entirely realistic. Sure, training them to understand commands like “leave it,” “drop it,” or “no” can help a pet stop sniffing or eating something they shouldn’t, but perhaps more important is refusing to bring known toxins into your pet’s environment. However, if you must, take care to store them in places that are inaccessible to your pet.
Sometimes, that’s easier said than done. Choosing a pet-safe fertilizer or bug spray is definitely not as hard as living without certain medications, cleaners, or foods. So, what’s the solution? Proper storage!
Behind Closed Doors
Knowing which pet toxins might be in your pet’s environment is critical to keeping your pet safe. Assess potential risks as you move from room to room around your house, around your yard, and as you walk through your neighborhood. Keep things in sealed containers on high shelves that your pet cannot reach.
The bottom line is that keeping things out in the open is a sure-fire way for your pet to find trouble.
Take a Look
Pet toxins are commonly found in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, and utility room. Some common items or substances that are toxic to pets can include the following:
- Antifreeze
- Rodent baits
- Fertilizer or pesticide
- Chocolate
- Onions and garlic
- Grapes and raisins
- Xylitol (check backpacks and purses for sugar-free candies, gum, and mints)
- Raw yeast dough
- Alcohol
- Macadamia nuts
- Coffee and other caffeinated beverages
Effective medicine storage for both pets and people is crucial to avoiding pet poisoning. Store all prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines in sealed bins, preferably on high shelves. Be mindful that even too much of your pet’s parasite prevention medication, taken by accident, can create health problems.
Pet Poisoning
If your pet ever eats something known to be toxic, or you suspect that they did, please act quickly. A pet poisoning is a medical emergency.
Our veterinarians and staff members are always here to assist you at Berkeley Veterinary Center.
Tags: avoid a pet poisoning, toxic items for pets, Toxins For Pets