March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month and is a pet holiday to bring awareness to a very important topic. Our animal companions are curious by nature, which can be cute in some instances but deadly in others. So for this
month, we will help inform you about the dangers your household may contain and hopefully in turn you will spread the awareness to a pet lover you know. The more aware everyone is about what’s poisonous for the pets and how to protect them from it the less animals we’ll risk losing to unfortunate accidents.
There’s something everyone knows to be poisonous to dogs and cats alike, chocolate. That is just one of the countless poisonous substances your animal could easily access in your home. Some other common items poisonous to dogs include: rodent poison, vitamins/minerals, cold/allergy medicine, antidepressants and caffeine. Cats are susceptible to poisoning from insecticides, household cleaners, antidepressants, lilies, cold/flu medication, glow sticks and rodent poison. These are just the most common household items to be aware of.
Ever heard of child proofing? Pet proofing is an important task for all pet owners to do before bringing home an animal. Like child proofing, using latches on any cupboards to keep animals from prying, is an easy way to keep harmful chemicals out of your pets reach. Begging is bad, counter surfing is even worse. Make sure to keep food out of range of your furry family members. Your trash container should always have a lid and be shut tight, there always those dogs who try to nose their way in there. Move poisonous household plants out of reach. Antifreeze is a really potent pet poison and absolutely must be kept away from your animal or else one taste could be lethal. Don’t leave lotions, medicine or any other related items on surfaces, like a nightstand or dresser, that your pet could easily get to.
As you can see there is a lot of work that goes into keeping your animals safe and out of harm’s way. You’ll rest much easier knowing your pet won’t be getting itself into trouble when left alone. In honor of Pet Poison Awareness Month please share this information with any pet owners you know. In the case that you do find yourself with a poisoned pet, keep the phone number of your local poison control so that you can act immediately and possibly save your animal’s life. Of course prevent pet poisoning from occurring in the first place is the best way to protect your beloved pets’ lives.