Thursday, March 4, 2010

Dog Safety in Your Home

Home is where the heart is. It’s a safe place for us, our families and friends and our dogs. However, our dogs, being naturally curious, sometimes need our help with a little extra protection from what they perceive to be interactive dog toys.

Did you know there’s a pretty long list of every day household items that pose serious health risks to our 4 legged family members? Things we think nothing about having out, handy, even putting them in our mouths or giving to our children can cause serious issues for dogs. Here’s a short list to help you conduct a safety inventory for your pets.

Mouth wash – Contains Boric Acid

Mothballs – Contains naphthalane &/or para dichlorobenzene. (These chemicals convert from solid to a gas in mothballs which can be fatal if inhaled.)

Batteries – Contain sulfuric acid which can cause severe mouth and throat burns and even stomach lining ulceration!

Tylenol – Unlike aspirin, Tylenol contains acetaminophen. (Acetaminophen toxicity can be fatal to our dogs.)

Bleach, Dish & Laundry Soaps, Fabric Softeners, Dryer Sheets. Just as in humans, these items, if ingested by your dog can cause severe distress like violent vomiting.

Antifreeze – Contains Ethylene Glycol which is extremely toxic to both us and our dogs. Unfortunately, Antifreeze smells and tastes like a supreme treat to our dogs.

Chocolate – Contains theobromine, toxic to dogs. (The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. It might surprise you to learn that some great dog treats contain white chocolate which is thought to be a safe and tasty substitute due to low or absent theobromine levels.)

If ingested, each of these items can cause immediate health risks in your dog up to and including death. Just be sure you keep items like these away from dog toys and dog accessories and out of harms’ way. For additional tips on keeping your home ‘Dog Safe’ visit the MANKINDdog Resources page and of course, consult your family vet.

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