KEEPING OUR PETS HEALTHY AND SAFE
Our pets give us so much: unconditional love, laughter, and joy. According to scientific evidence, they are even good for us and can help us live longer and healthier lives. They give us so much and ask for so little in return, we owe it to them to keep them healthy and safe. Here a few simple steps we can take to insure that our pets stay healthy and safe.
Be sure your pet sees their veterinarian at least once a year. Your veterinarian will insure that your pet is healthy, up-to-date with their vaccines and on preventatives that keep them free from external and internal parasites and the diseases caused by them.
- Watch out for objects in your home that your pet may ingest, like yarn, string, dental floss and ribbons in the case of cats, and rocks, bones, small children's toys, socks and underwear in the case of dogs. Although these objects appear harmless, they can cause an intestinal obstruction if ingested and can be fatal if not removed surgically.
- Household cleaners and chemicals are almost always toxic to our pets and should be stored out of reach, especially since many of them are scented and can be very attractive to our pets.
- Minimize your pet's exposure to unnecessary household cleaners and chemicals in products that could potentially be harmful. Whenever possible choose natural and chemical-free alternatives. For example consider using a 100 % all natural cat litter like World's Best Cat Litter.
- Keep antifreeze, which contains polyethylene glycol, out of reach of children and pets, as it has a sweet aroma and taste but can be fatal if ingested.
- Be careful when using baited-pesticides. These products are scented to attract pests but can also lure our pets and be fatal if ingested.
- Be aware of which common household plants are poisonous to pets, like lilies, tulip bulbs, and chrysanthemum and keep them out of reach of all animals.
- Be careful not to give your pets foods that are toxic to them like chocolate, grapes, onions, and macadamia nuts.
- Be careful when using candles and never leave lit candles within reach or unattended. They can burn your pet or cause a fire if knocked over by your pet.
- Keep pets away from electrical cords and holiday lights. Pets can get electrocuted if they chew on them or strangle themselves if they get tangled up in the lights.
- Keep screens on windows to prevent pets from falling or jumping out of them.
Though the home can be full of hazards, it is a haven compared to the outdoors. At least we have the ability to pet-proof our home to minimize dangers. With outdoor hazards, the dangers are often beyond our control. In particular, cats that spend time a lot of time outdoors face many more hazards compared to indoor only cats and have significantly shorter life spans.
- Automobiles are one of the deadliest outdoor hazards to our pets. Unfortunately, our pets aren't good at looking both ways before crossing a street, and in a carversus- pet accident, the car almost always wins.
- Being left unattended outside can put cats and small dogs at risk for injuries caused by wild animals or other neighborhood cats or dogs.
- Roaming animals can come in contact with a number of different poisons like fertilizers, snail bait, insect and rat poison, and antifreeze.
- Roaming animals can also be exposed to various diseases. In the case of cats, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus or "feline AIDS" can be transmitted between cats and is much more prevalent among outdoor cats.
- Dogs are more vulnerable to heat stroke than people. Never leave them in a car in warm weather because the interior of a car can become dangerously hot in minutes. Likewise, make sure that you don't over exert your dog during hot weather since dogs don't sweat the way we do and have a harder time cooling off.
As every pet parent can attest, our pets seem to have a talent for getting into trouble. Being aware of the most common pet hazards can help us keep our pets safe by preventing accidents from occurring. Yet despite all our best efforts, accidents do occur. If your pet has a medical problem see your veterinarian immediately for treatment.
The makers of World's Best Cat Litter™ are not only dedicated to making the best cat litter, they are also committed to helping cats live longer, healthier lives. By providing educational articles like this one, they hope to educate pet parents about important cat health topics. World's Best Cat Litter™, the all-natural, dust and chemical free corn-based litter that is pet, people, and planet friendly.
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These educational articles are provided as an informational and educational service of a general nature. They are not intended to be a substitute for regular veterinary care or meant to be used to diagnosis a pet's medical condition, If you have questions about your pet's health, consult your veterinarian.
About Dr. Ruth MacPete
Dr. Ruth MacPete has dedicated her life to improving the lives of animals everywhere. In addition to working in private practice and at various animal shelters, she has substantial media experience doing pet health segments for network news affiliates in multiple markets, including a regular bi-weekly pet news segment she did for San Diego's NBC affiliate KNSD for over two years. She is also a published author and has written articles for Bark magazine, Pet Business, San Diego Pets, Great Scots Magazine and Cat Fancy Magazine, where she has a monthly "Health and Care News" section, as well as many newspapers. She has been the media host for several veterinary conventions around the country, where she brought conference news to all attendees. She also volunteers her time regularly with several local animal rescue groups and can often be found at pet events answering questions for pet parents.