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Autumn is beautiful. Earthy smells, refreshing temperatures, and vibrant colors create the perfect environment for long walks with our canine companions. But fall is also a time of lurking dangers for our furry friends. From household poisons to cold weather hazards, there are important safety issues to consider.
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How to take care of your pets during Fall Season? | Autumn Safety Tips | Pets Health Tips for Autumn
With Little Care, You and Your Pet Can Have Many Awesome Autumns To Enjoy Together. Autumn is beautiful. Earthy smells, refreshing temperatures, and vibrant colors create the perfect environment for long walks with our canine companions. But fall is also a time of lurking dangers for our furry friends. From household poisons to cold weather hazards, there are important safety issues to consider. Keep this precautionary list for fall safety in the back of your mind… but don’t let it stop you from enjoying nature this season!
Pet hair on your couch, your clothes, and everywhere? Grooming: In early fall, pets begin shedding their summer coat to allow room for their winter coat. For many pet owners, this means pet hair on your couch, your clothes, and everywhere in between. Make time to brush your pet weekly, if not daily, depending on your pet’s shedding habits. Brushing your pet will allow you to catch most of the unwanted hair before it ends up around your home.
Unwanted guests? Fleas and Ticks: Check your pet after coming indoors to make sure they aren’t bringing in any unwanted guests. Although tick nymphs peak in the spring months, many species of ticks are active even into the winter and can survive the first frost. If you’re worried you might have a tick problem, there are several things you can do to help.
A tick and flea preventative will help keep the bugs away, but if you don’t choose to use them, consider paying more attention to your lawn care. Eliminate their favorite environments, such as leaf and garden litter, where ticks can sometimes survive even into winter. Do not allow pets to jump in unknown leaf piles that might hide wildlife or ticks. Is your house a great place to stay warm and dry for Rats and Mice? Mouse Traps, Rat Traps & Glue Boards: Be mindful of how you prevent these pests from entering your home.
To keep them out, close up any entry holes and choose anti-rodent products that are nontoxic. The use of rat and mouse poisons increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal. Keep all chemicals and pesticides securely out of pets’ reach at all times.
Thinking of changing your car’s engine coolant? Leaks and Spills: Check your vehicles for fluid leaks and be sure spills are cleaned up immediately. Many people choose fall as the time to change their car’s engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants—though they aren’t completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants.
Great snacks? The New school supplies of your children: Now that kids are back in school, make sure you keep items like pencils, markers, and glue sticks out of your pet’s reach. If they decide the new school supplies would make great snacks, they might get gastrointestinal upset or blockages. Cats are more likely to bite the edges of notebooks and paper. Foreign body ingestion tops the list for both puppies and kittens, and it is one of our most frequent claims for all cats and dogs.
Keep school supplies in designated places away from pets. Can your Pet distinguish most toxic mushrooms from nontoxic ones? Steer Clear of Mushrooms: Fall and spring are mushroom seasons. Keep your pets from eating mushrooms that pop up on lawns, under trees, in fields, and on logs. While some won’t make your pet sick, a few are deadly.
If your pet accidentally eats one, especially if they seem to have a reaction to it, or you know the mushroom is toxic, go to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Itching more than usual? Allergies: You’re not the only one who can get the curse of fall allergies. Your pet can be just as susceptible to allergies as you. If you see your pet itching more than usual, you might want to check with the vet to identify any possible allergies.
Keep leaves raked and the grass cut short to eliminate irritation to your pet’s skin. Limping and reluctance to exercise? Cold Snaps: Consider his joints: Any outdoor pets are at risk if there is a sudden autumn cold snap. Dropping temperatures can cause hypothermia or frostbite, and even mildly colder temperatures can aggravate some pets’ health conditions, such as arthritis or joint problems. Keep an eye out for signs such as limping and reluctance to exercise.
If your dog is whimpering when he moves, it’s time to seek help from your veterinarian. Furnace Heat: Cages, crates, tanks, and other enclosures near heating vents? Small pets can suffer when you turn on furnace heat in the fall, particularly if their cages, crates, tanks, or aquariums may be near vents. Drier air caused by home heating can also impact pets, causing skin irritation, allergy flare-ups, and any other discomfort. Move cages, crates, tanks, and other enclosures away from heating vents.
Ramped up your intake of hearty, heavy foods and sweets? Beware chocolate and hearty foods: The fall and winter parallel our holiday seasons when we ramp up our intake of hearty, heavy foods and sweets. It’s important to make sure your pets don’t get into any foods that can make them sick; for dogs, this means chocolate, grapes, and raisins are off-limits because they are toxic. Just because some foods aren’t technically considered toxic to pets doesn’t mean they’re safe.
Rich, high-fat foods can cause stomach problems such as diarrhea and gastroenteritis and even more serious conditions like pancreatitis. Also, think about small food items that can be choking hazards, like turkey bones around Thanksgiving. Talk to your veterinarian to make sure you know what’s safe and what’s not.
Kennel cough? Dogs get the flu too! Canine flu and bordetella, or “kennel cough,” are both airborne diseases. If you see a dog that is coughing, keep your own dog away and avoid touching the ill dog. If your dog develops a cough or high fever, contact your veterinarian immediately. Other elements: Wildlife: Raccoons, snakes, skunks, and other animals are more active in fall as they feed heavily and look for spaces to hibernate. If pets come across these wild guests, they can be at risk from injuries or disease transmission.
Make Dog-proof your environment Do a daily sweep of your yard to ensure it’s safe for your canine companion. Clean up rotten fruit that’s fallen off trees, as the seeds, stems, and leaves aren’t good for animals to eat. Break off any bare sticks that your pet can get caught on while playing – as they shed their leaves, they also pose more of a danger to your pet’s eyes. No matter the season, always be sure that your pet has access to water. It is important that the water is clean to avoid any bacteria from entering your pet’s system.
Reinforce all your pet’s training, including “stay” “no” and “drop” commands. Update your pet’s microchip information and be sure you have a current photo just in case. One of the best things you can do to safeguard your pet during fall – and throughout the year – is to stay alert to their condition and surroundings. When you notice a change, such as limping, breathing difficulties, fur loss, nervous behavior, fear, etc., you can take care of any problems immediately, before they become life-threatening hazards. With care, you and your pet will have many awesome autumns to enjoy together.
