Pet safety has been on my mind recently, especially with this dangerous heat. Did you know that people are still taking their dogs on errands and leaving them in their cars? They actually believe leaving the windows open is practicing pet safety and will prevent heat stroke and/or death. It is a terrible mistake and an awful price paid for many dogs.
But there are a few other pet safety issues I want to point out that seem to be less understood by the general public than the often reported chocolate, raisins, grapes, chives, and the controversial avocado – maybe it will help avert tragedy or a costly emergency visit:
- Lemon – not many dogs would eat lemon rind, and no self respecting cat would, but just in case you have a dog who will eat anything…(and yes, there is a YouTube video of a dog eating a lemon)..don’t let him. Essential oils are toxic
- Yeast dough – gas, stomach aches, and in raw form causes stomach and intestinal ruptures
- Apple pips, stems, leaves (but not the fruit itself) are listed as toxic
- Aloe plants – some of us keep these in the kitchen if we regularly cut or burn ourselves
- Xylitol – hands down deadly sweetener used in gum, breath mints and other products.
(source: ASPCA.org)
Pet Safety, What’s the End Game?
What’s the most important thing to know to keep your pet safe? Trick question! As with kids, you have to be aware of everything your dog might be able to turn into trouble.
Here’s another way of thinking about pet safety. If your dog ate something too fast – and you know how they scarf down whatever it is they shouldn’t be eating – and it cut off his air? What if you removed the obstruction with your fingers, but the dog was still unconscious? Do you know dog CPR? If you know how to do it, you can save your dog’s life. And that’s the point of Dr. Lorie Huston’s podcast interview with Jillian Myers of Healthy Paws , a pet first aid company with CPR classes.
Myers started her business after her own dog died, returning home from the dog’s teeth cleaning only to realize complications were presenting. Feeling the pain of that loss, Myers decided to offer pet first aid and CPR education so that others would be able to feel competent in an emergency. No one wants to feel helpless when pet safety, even pets’ lives are at stake.
You can listen to Dr. Huston and Jillian Myers at Animal Cafe – find out more about pet first aid and CPR. Don’t let your daily tasks get in the way of learning more about pet safety.
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