Fall Pet Safety Tips

Fall is a time of back to school and changing weather. It is also a time when pets can encounter dangers from both nature and man! 

Everything from seasonal allergies and pests to household poisons...  Here are some tips to keep your pet happy and healthy!

Rodenticides -With colder temperatures, mice and rats tend to look for warmer surroundings (aka. your house). 

Be sure if you put out rodenticides that they are out of reach for your pets as well as wildlife!

Antifreeze -Pets are attracted to the sweet taste of the ethylene glycol and it doesn't take much to be fatal to your pet. 

Signs to look for if your pet has ingested antifreeze are: Excessive thirst or urination, vomiting, panting, drunkenness, lethargy, and coma. 

If you believe your pet may have ingested antifreeze be sure to bring them to the closest vet or to our hospital right away!! 

Fall Allergies -The fallen leaves from trees can have mold. Especially when there has been rainfall, this is a breeding ground for mold. (Lucky us, we live in Raincouver!) 

When your pet walks on these leaves, it could cause irritation to their pads. Rag-weed and dust are also contributing to this season's allergies of pets. 

Candy -Halloween is around the corner and we all know taht chocolate is toxic for your pets, but keep in mind other candy can be toxic as well! 

Xylitol, the sugar-free sweetener is also toxic for your pet. Raisins, which are found in some candy, can cause kidney failure in cats and dogs! 

The candy wrappers and sticks are also dangerous and can cause life threatening bowel obstruction! 

Make sure you keep the candies out of reach of the pets and throw the wrappers and the sticks! 

Holiday Dinners -These family and/or friend dinners tempt us to feed our table scraps or cooked food to our pets. It is advised not to feed human food to our pets! 

If you must, please avoid foods that are high in fat as this can trigger pancreatitis in cats and dogs! 

Stay away from feeding any foods that contain bones; these can get lodged in their throats and cause intestinal blockage. Stay away from onions as they are toxic! 

Giving foods PLAIN with no butter or seasoning is best! 

Being aware of fall dangers can help keep our pets safe. 

Let's make fall a beautiful and cozy season for our pets too!