Act Fast This Summer: Petproof Your Outdoor Spaces

It’s the dog days of summer, which means your pooch has more opportunities to get into trouble! Although celebrations such as picnics, family barbecues and vacations are happening, it’s important that you petproof all of your outdoor spaces. This will prevent your pet from ingesting something poisonous, and it will also keep your mind at ease if you have to hire a pet sitter while you’re away at the beach.

Everywhere you pet goes—the patio, the garden, the garage—has potential dangers lurking. As a responsible pet parent, it’s important to assess the outside of your residence for harmful ingredients, objects and plants. Below are some tips to guide you through the petproofing process.

Dangers on the Deck

When you’re cooking on the patio, your dog is most likely going to be interested in the food you’re preparing, which means that your furry friend might eat anything that smells tasty or has savory morsels attached. For example, those charcoal briquettes for the grill will have a strong food scent, and your dog might try to steel them given a chance. If your pet ingests these small pieces of charcoal, it can cause obstruction in the stomach, which would result in vomiting and then lead to surgical repair.

Even certain foods are no nos for dogs. For instance corn on the cob or even peach pits can cause problems for a canine’s intestines. While you might want to treat your dog with barbecue scraps, resist the urge, because these fatty snacks can give your pup stomach pains or even worse, pancreatitis or death.

Poisonous Garden Plants

Yes, even your beautiful garden can be a danger zone. When it comes to azaleas and backyard lilies such as the daylily, Asiatic, Easter or Stargazer lily, your pooch can experience fatal symptoms upon ingestion. Even cats are susceptible to the lily’s toxic leaves so it’s best to remove them from your garden and landscaping. Common symptoms for dogs eating azaleas include drooling, diarrhea, vomiting and abnormal heart rate.

Garage Horrors

Along with harmful liquids such as windshield wiper fluid, you also need to keep rose and garden plant foods that have insecticides far out of reach and well contained. The insecticides whether in the bag or applied to your soil can cause your dog to experience seizures, shock, diarrhea, vomiting and possibly death.

Another item to watch out for are fireworks. Dogs are naturally curious creatures, and sometimes they look for goodies they can chew on. Along with paper products, fireworks also contain chemicals like potassium nitrate and gunpowder, which isn’t going to be gentle on your canine’s insides. If you have leftover fireworks from the Fourth of July holiday, clear your yard from the debris and box up the extras so they can be stored in a cool, dry and high place.

Protecting your pooch from these outdoor dangers will prevent summer disasters, extra trips to the veterinarian and calls to the Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680)—in other words, the key to a fabulous summer with your canine is petproofing. However, in the case that your pet does get into trouble, seek professional first-aid advice as soon as possible.

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6 Responses

  1. HART (1-800-HART)
    | Reply

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  2. Friend Pets
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  3. LS
    | Reply

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  4. HART (1-800-HART)
    | Reply

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  5. Renee Kirkpatrick
    | Reply

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  6. Marina Hanes
    | Reply

    "Act Fast This Summer: Petproof Your Outdoor Spaces — PetLvr Blog For Pet Lovers" ( http://bit.ly/9QW48A )

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