Safeguarding Your Dog from Poisons in the Home

Safeguarding Your Dog from Poisons in the Home

Protecting your puppy or dog from everyday poisons in the home and garden will be the focus of this article.

Along with your veterinarian's phone number, you should have posted in prominent vicinity by the phone the number to a 24 hour emergency pet hospital and the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435). Make sure you know where the pet emergency hospital is before the need arises. Having these numbers available before you need them may save your puppy or dog's life. It is also suggested that you have a doggie emergency kit available consisting of the following:

Bottle of hydrogen peroxide

Bulb syringes (medium and large sizes) or large medicine syringe

Saline eye solution

Muzzle

Clean blanket to wrap dog in if necessary

Assortment of towels

Portable pet carrier if dog is small

Rubber gloves

Most canines love to explore and sniff out new things. Most puppies and dogs lick things or put items in their mouth before you have a chance to tell them no or direct their attention elsewhere. Keeping all unsafe items out of a dog's grasp is one way to protect them in your house. Keeping them on a leash helps protect them when away from the house or out walking.

Placing cleaners in cabinets or cupboards and gardening supplies in the garage away from the dog is a start on making your home doggie safe. If your dog has access to the garage, make sure all gardening supplies or additives are on shelves or in an area of the garage inaccessible to the dog. Think how you would childproof your home and apply it to the dog. A dog can't climb but he can jump up on tables and grab anything he thinks is edible. Fumes from paints, fuel oils and acetones are very harmful to animals and can also make humans ill. Keep these items in a well ventilated area and out of reach of dogs and children.

Most people don't think of their prescriptions or over the counter medicines as a danger to puppies or dogs. A dropped pill on the floor could cause great harm to the puppy or dog that finds and swallows it. One little pill could cause live failure, depression, seizures or a multitude of medical emergencies. If you drop a pill or anything on the floor, pick it up. Taking 2 minutes to locate the pill may save the life of your pet.

Everyone must know by now that chocolate is harmful to dogs. It isn't that great for humans either but our weight gain (as a side effect of too much chocolate) is not as serious as the effect that chocolate has on dogs. Theobromine is a natural stimulate found in chocolate and affects the heart muscle and central nervous system of dogs. Eating a little chocolate won't hurt your dog but knowing how much is safe is hard to judge. If you have a small dog even a little chocolate may be fatal. Theobromine may cause increased heart rate, increased urination and excessive panting. This then could lead to seizures, coma and death. Keep all chocolate candies, cookies and cakes away from puppies and dogs and make sure the goodies are put away in the refrigerator or cabinets when leaving the room. If a dog wants a piece of chocolate, he may jump on the counter or table.