I LOVE animals-- especially dogs! I have two: a 9 year old mix that we adopted after he appeared on a WRAL adoption segment-- the other is a service dog in training that we're raising as part pf a volunteer puppy raising program through Canine Companions for Independence. He's a yellow lab/golden retriever mix that at just under 6 months-- is ALL puppy! If we turn our HEADS for a split SECOND-- he finds SOMETHING to grab, chew or get into!
So I wanted to share an e-mail I recently received from the Pet Poison Helpline warning about fall season household and yard items items that can be especially dangerous to pets!
MOTHBALLS: . Mothballs typically contain either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene. Some can be deadly.
MUSHROOMS: With the rains we've been having, I've noticed mushrooms growing all over the place. The Helpline says while most are not toxic, some can be very dangerous. Adding to the problem they say, proper identification of mushrooms is extremely difficult. For that reason, they say if your pet ingests a mushroom,
consider it toxic and call your vet for guidance. Better yet, scour your yard and get rid of them.
MOUSE AND RAT POISONS: Be careful about where you place poisonous baits. Make sure your pets can't reach them!
COMPOST PILES: So you're trying to be green by having a compost pile! But when compost decays and decomposes, it can become moldy! Ingesting even small amounts can trigger tremors or seizures in pets!
HALLOWEEN CANDY: Depending on how much they eat, chocolate can be VERY poisonous to many animals. In general, the less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it can be. And if your pets eat the wrappers, they could end up with an intestinal blockage!
Fortunately, the only close call we've had at our house is when our second Canine Companion puppy got into his bag of FOOD and ate WAY too much. That too, can be very dangerous-- especially for a puppy. Thank goodness he was O-K. But its all a good reminder to make sure we protect our pets during this fall season and always! They can be more curious than kids. And they count on us to keep them in line!
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