Dogs and puppies can easily and accidently expose themselves to hazards. Take a few minutes to remove and store hazards that loom inside your home. Sometimes things we wouldn’t dream of as harmful can be toxic to our canine companions. The xylitol in sugar free gum, for example, can kill your dog. Here are some general guidelines to follow, but you may want to ask your veterinarian’s staff for a more detailed list, including harmful houseplants.
Medications
All medications, regardless if human or canine; should be stored in tightly closed top cabinets. While it’s tempting to keep medication within arms reach, it’s not worth the risk to your pet. So many times, dog owners will leave dog medications on top of kitchen or bathroom counters, and their dog grabs, chews up the bottle and ingests all medications, which can be deadly. Many chewable dog or children medications are very attractive to dogs, so keep all medications in upper cabinets.
Cleaning Products
For the most part, dog owners should be using chemical free options because they work very effectively. If not, store all cleaning products behind closed doors, such as inside a pantry. If cleaning products must be stores in lower cabinets, invest in childproof locks to prevent dogs from opening cabinet doors and ingesting harmful chemicals.
Food
Store all food in refrigerators, tightly closed cabinet doors and pantries. No food should be left on top of counter tops, unless it’s inside a tightly closed container. Food, inside plastic bags, are easily destroyed and consumed, plus plastic can be a choking hazard or cause an obstruction. Take a moment and make sure your dog’s peanut butter or treats do not contain xylitol, onions, chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts or fatty foods. Also, don’t forget to invest in a tall, heavy lid trashcan, with a foot pedal opener. This type of trashcan is not easily opened by small, medium or large dogs. If a dog has learned how to open a heavy smooth trashcan lid, then keep the trashcan behind a closed cabinet or pantry door.
Pesticides
Keep all pesticides, such as insecticides and rat poison, in the garage. Store in tightly closed plastic containers and place on high shelving. Pesticides are deadly, even to dogs, so keep them out of reach. Hopefully, owners are using natural options, such as cedar and peppermint oils, which are extremely effective at deterring pests from hanging around their home. If not, they should consider switching to natural options.
Take a few moments and follow these tips. We assume it will never happen to our dog, until it does.