Spring Safety Tips

If you’re anything like us, you’re excited to see more of the sun and feel more of the warmer weather coming our way.  The only ones more excited than us would be our pets; they’re looking forward to more walks, more time outside, and more playing with four-legged friends!  As spring approaches, there are several things to keep in mind as you’re enjoying time with your pets.

• Winter storms are very good at knocking down sticks.  If your dog likes to play fetch (or keep away!), a Frisbee or ball is a much better choice because sticks can cause injury to the mouth or accidental ingestion issues.
• Look for a good guide on toxic plants like that on petpoisonhelpline.com.  Springtime growth of those plants can create a possibility of poisoning your pet should they ingest something they find in the yard.
• On the topic of toxic materials, make sure that any antifreeze is put away, out of reach for all your pets.  Antifreeze can taste sweet to a cat or dog, but is highly toxic and can prove fatal very quickly, even in small amounts!
• When spring cleaning rolls around, ensure that the cleaning products you use are pet-approved or non-toxic in nature.  If you have any questions about the pet-friendliness of a cleaning product you use, feel free to give our office a call!
• Heartworm and flea and tick prevention is a topic that applies for pet owners year-round.  Fleas and other parasites can affect your pet even in the middle of winter.  If your pets are not on prevention products though, now is the perfect time to start.
• More outside time means more opportunities for your pet to get lost.  Make sure that your pet has their identification tags on and consider microchipping your pet for the best protection if they are lost.  Having a microchip could be the difference between a swift reunion and a lengthy wait for that phone call!
• The importance of having secure screens in place is tough to overstate.  In addition to keeping pests and parasites out of your house, it can also help to prevent any cats from injuring themselves from a fall.
• Spring is when I look forward to sprucing up the ol’ homestead with a coat of paint or maybe a few fence repairs.  Remember that even though you know what to do with a hammer and nails or the staple gun, your pet can get seriously injured around nails, staples, and a large variety of the chemicals used in home improvement projects.  Keep sound levels in mind when you work on the house as well; pets’ ears tend to be more sensitive than your own!

Spring is an exciting time of year, and as long as we are careful to keep our pets’ needs in mind, it can be just as exciting and enjoyable for our pets as for us!