Autumn Safety Tips for your Pets

Here are some helpful excerpts from articles by the ASPCA and the AMVA. By Joy and Brian Pape

Autumn Safety Tips From ASPCA

There’s nothing like the crisp, cool air and luscious foliage to get you excited for the changing seasons. 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 to keep your pet safe, happy and healthy during the autumn months.

Be Cautious of Rodenticides and Cold Weather Poisons

The use of rodenticides increases in the fall. They are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, please do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets.

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 — they are much less toxic.

Keep School Supplies Out of Paws Reach

Those with young children have stocked up on items like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. Although these items are considered low toxicity to pets, gastrointestinal upset and blockages can occur if ingested. Be sure your children keep their school supplies and backpacks out of paws reach.

Steer Clear of Mushrooms

Fall is mushroom season and while 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic can cause life-threatening problems. Keep pets away from areas where mushrooms are growing.

If you suspect your pet may have ingested a toxic substance, please contact your veterinarian or call ASPCA Poison Control at 888-426-4435 immediately.
Read the whole article here: aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/autumn-safety-tips

Halloween Safety Tips From AMVA

Rocky, a West Village dog dressed up and ready for Halloween. Credit: Rocky’s mother, Erin.

Halloween can be a downright spooky experience for pets. You can take these steps to reduce the risk of them being hurt, poisoned, or lost.

  • Don’t feed pets Halloween treats. Raisins can cause your pet’s kidneys to fail, and candy may contain substances toxic to pets, such as chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute).
  • Make sure your pets have identification (microchip, collar, and ID tag) that will make it easy for someone to contact you in case they escape through an open door while you’re distracted with trick-or-treaters.
  • Keep lit candles, jack-o-lanterns, and other Halloween decorations out of reach of pets.
  • Keep all human costume pieces away from pets, along with glow sticks, decorations, batteries, and other holiday items. They might cause choking, internal injury, or illness.
  • If you plan to put a costume on your pet, make sure it:
  • Fits properly and is comfortable.
  • Doesn’t have any pieces that easily can be chewed off or cause choking.
  • Doesn’t block your pet’s sight, hearing, breathing, mouth or movement.
  • Take time to get your pet accustomed to the costume, and never leave a costumed pet unsupervised.
  • If your pet is wary of strangers or has a tendency to bite, put them in a room away from the front door during trick-or-treating hours.
  • Keep your pet indoors.
  • Learn more here: AVMA-Animal Health and Welfare.

Make your pet part of your plan

By Marisa Cala-Keck

When disaster strikes, there is no time to debate what matters. Families scramble to grab children, medications, records, and whatever they can carry before heading for safety. For two-thirds of Americans, there’s another family member who also needs to be saved – a pet.

Recent wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters have shown how quickly unsuspecting families can be forced from their homes. However, evacuating with pets is often complicated, as many emergency services aren’t prepared to accommodate animals.

No one should have to make an impossible choice between protecting themselves and protecting their precious animal who’s depending on them.

This Disaster Preparedness Month, please remind your lawmakers that preparedness means planning for the WHOLE family. I urge my federal lawmakers, Senators Gillibrand and Schumer and Representative Espaillat, to support the bipartisan PETSAFE Act (H.R. 7438/S.4558), to strengthen communities’ ability to prepare for and respond to disasters that involve companion animals.