Category: dogs

Pet Safety on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a festive holiday. Gathering friends and family members together to enjoy a large meal is part of the Thanksgiving tradition. While everyone is busy enjoying the festivities, your pet could be heading for trouble. Large gatherings mean a change in routine for your pets. Keeping pets safe on Thanksgiving requires extra attention to their surroundings.

Tips for Keeping Pets Safe on Thanksgiving

Keeping a close watch on your pet is essential for safety on Thanksgiving. Consider the following areas to help you with pet safety.

The Door

Pets love to greet people at the door. Your dog may enjoy barking and running to see who is coming in the door. When people start arriving, your dog or cat can easily slip out through the open door. Watching the door closely ensures your pet stays inside.

The Kitchen 

During cooking times, your kitchen may be chaotic. Pets love to be near people. Having a pet in the kitchen may cause you to trip. Or you may accidentally spill something hot on your pet. If you unexpectedly drop raw food or other ingredients, your pet may quickly eat the substance, which could cause stomach distress.

The Food

Along with ingesting raw food, overfeeding your pet on ThaThanksgiving can cause stomach issues and more. Thanksgiving is about indulging in a great meal.

  • Limit Food Scrapes:  Thanksgiving is about indulging in a great meal. Limiting food scraps to your dog or cat is essential for your pet’s health. A small piece of boneless, unseasoned turkey is a tasty treat for your pet.
  • No Fat or Seasoned Food: Fatty or seasoned foods can make your pet sick.
  • No Chocolate: Chocolate or other rich desserts are all part of the Thanksgiving feast. But chocolate is toxic to dogs. High doses of chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and even death in dogs.

The Trash

Pets are curious. Sniffing out the trash is natural for them. Pulling out wrappings, food pieces, bones, and other substances can cause stomach distress. Keeping the garbage out of reach of pets is necessary to avoid health issues.

The Safe Space

Pets can quickly become overwhelmed with all the people in your household. Allowing your pet to retreat to a crate or safe place will help reduce anxiety. Inform your guests, especially children, the area is off-limits.

Thanksgiving is a festive occasion. Keeping your pet safe during the activities means you will not spend an evening in the vet emergency room.

Hiking in Winter With Your Dog

Do you usually hike with your favorite four-legged companion? Has the winter weather made you leave your best hiking partner at home? Changing weather does not mean your dog has to stay home from your next hike. With a little planning, your dog can hit the open trails with you.

Tips for Hiking With Your Dog in the Winter

As a responsible dog owner, you are fully aware of your pet’s hiking limits. Hiking in the snow and cold requires additional care for your dog’s safety. Consider the following tips to help your dog stay healthy and happy during winter hikes.

  • Be Warm: Some dog breeds love the snow. Others may need some extra protective gear to help maintain warmth and protect against hypothermia. Dog coats, booties, and paw protectors may be part of your dog’s new hiking routine. Coats help your dog stay warm and dry. Booties or paw protectors are essential to protect your dog’s paws from the elements. If your dog does not wear paw protectors, consider using a paw protection wax. The wax is easy to apply and helps keep your dog’s paws safe from the natural elements.
  • Know Your Trail: Winter can add other hazardous conditions to hiking. Sticking to familiar trails can keep you and your dog safe.
  • Dog Permitted Trails: Remember to only hike trails that allow dogs. Rules and guidelines may change in winter months. Checking ahead is essential.
  • Keep Your Dog Close: Dogs love to run and explore. During the winter months, your dog may wander off too far. Lakes, streams, and rivers may not be fully frozen. Your dog slipping through the ice can be highly dangerous and sometimes deadly. Keeping your dog close is critical. The chances of hypothermia and other injuries could happen quickly.
  • Food and Water: Like you, your dog will need proper hydration and nourishment during the hike. Snowy covered trails mean extra work for your dog. If your dog starts to slow down or stops, he may need a food and water break. Dehydration, hypothermia, and exhaustion are highly dangerous for your pet. Learn to read your pet’s signs to know when to take a trail break.
  • Emergency Kit: Pack a first aid kit for your dog. Keep extra blankets in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The blankets can help keep your pet warm and dry.
  • Mobile Device: Always carry a cell phone with you for emergencies.  Use your phone to check on the weather. A forecast can change quickly, wintry weather can be dangerous for you and your dog. When hiking away from home, program local numbers for pet emergencies.

Winter does not automatically require you and your dog to stay indoors. With a little pre-planning, you and your faithful hiking companion will be out on the trails in no time.

 

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5 Tips for Pet Safety on Halloween

Throwing a party or trick-or-treating, Halloween is a fun and exciting time for everyone. Including your pets in family activities is a normal part of any type of event. Dogs and cats are valued family members. Following pet safety tips will help your pet be safe throughout all your Halloween activities.

5 Pet Safety Tips on Halloween

During Halloween activities, keep a watchful eye on your pets. Being proactive in pet safety will keep your beloved four-legged companion from an emergency vet visit. Consider the following areas for protecting your pet on Halloween.

Keep Halloween Candy in a Safe Place

Candy, especially chocolate, is a typical Halloween treat. Even though candy is tasty to humans, consuming chocolate can be lethal for pets. Keeping your bowl of candy or your children’s trick-or-treat stash in a safe place is essential for pet safety on Halloween.

Create a Safe Haven for Your Pets

Halloween activities can be noisy. Creating a safe haven for your pet helps reduce stress and anxiety.

  • Crate: If your pet feels comfortable in a crate, allow him or her to retreat to a familiar place.
  • Unused Room: Allow your pet to retreat to an unused room.
  • Bring Pets Indoors: Unfortunately, not everyone respects animals, bring your pets indoors for safety. Many outdoor pets are abused or go missing on Halloween.

Watch Your Door

Handing out candy is a significant part of Halloween. Children (and adults) in costumes can be scary for your dogs or cats. A normally well-behaved dog may try to attack. Keeping your dogs back from the door will protect you, your dog, and your trick-or-treaters. When you’re handing out candy, your cat may slip through an opened door. Watching your door at all times will help keep your pets safe and secure.

Secure Your Halloween Decor

Decorating for Halloween adds extra fun to the holiday. But unsecured decoration can create hazardous situations for your dog or cat.

  • Wires and Cords: Loose cords or cables can quickly become dangerous for your pets. Your four-legged friend can chew or get tangled up. The result could be deadly for your pet.
  • Candles: Lighted candles add atmosphere to your Halloween party. But open flames are a high risk to your pets. Your dog or cat could tip the candle over, causing a fire. Using flameless candles around pets is critical to prevent fires and the possibility of being burned.
  • Glow Sticks: Glow sticks are a popular choice for costumes, pumpkins, and other fun. If your dog chews on a glow stick, the contents can cause sickness. Keep all glow sticks away from your pet.

Dressing Up Your Pet

Be cautious when dressing up your pet for Halloween. Ask yourself, does my pet enjoy the costume? Many pets may become anxious if dressed up. If your pet does like the costume, check the material over to ensure your pet is safe. For example, dangling strings may cause your pet to trip. Your pet may chew on the strings causing sickness or choking.

Keep your Halloween enjoyable by implementing standard safety measures for your pets.

Celebrating National Dog Day

Did you know August 26 is National Dog Day? An entire day celebrating your faithful companion, best friend, and beloved family member. Responsible pet owners are fully aware of the importance a dog brings to a home.  Today is just a reminder to pass along some extra love.

Ways to Celebrate National Dog Day 

  • Go for a Nature Walk: Spend extra time outdoors by going for a nature walk. Go to your local pet-friendly park to enjoy some quality time together.
  • Go Hiking: An active dog would love the extra challenge of a hike. With all the new smells, going to a new location is a great experience for your dog.  
  • Go to the Lake or Beach: Does your dog love the water? Spend an afternoon at your favorite pet-friendly beach or lake. 
  • Go to the Dog Park: Spend time together at your local dog park. Or for an added treat, explore a new dog park in the area. 
  • Host a Dog Party: Spend time with your friends and their dogs by hosting an afternoon dog party. 
  • Make a Homemade Dog Treat: Pinterest is a great resource for finding pet-friendly dog treats and meals. Bake something special for National Dog Day. 
  • Buy a New Toy: Bring home your dog a new toy or chew bone or both. 
  • Purchase New Bedding: Has your dog outgrown his current bed? Purchase a new bed and blanket as part of the dog day celebration. 
  • Purchase New Collar: Does your dog need a new collar? Buy your dog some extra gifts, a new collar, leash, and doggie clothes. 
  • Take Photos: Hire a professional to take photos of you and your dog together. Or spend the day taking selfies of you and dog together. Put the photos in an album or hang on the way to remind you of the day. 
  • Cuddle Time: Give your dog some extra love. Cuddle together on the couch. (Your dog will not care if you’re watching Netflix at the same time.)
  • Adopt: Have you been considering adopting a dog? Make the experience special by adopting a dog or two on National Dog Day. 
  • Volunteer: Are you unable to adopt a dog right now but have some extra time? Consider volunteering at your local shelter or rescue. Numerous organizations need help in many areas including cleaning pens and walking the dogs. 
  • Donate: Is your time limited right now? Consider donating to celebrate National Dog Day. Many shelters, rescues or other dog organizations have wish lists. Donating products off the list helps in many ways. If you do not have time to shop, monetary donations are always welcomed. 

 

 

Back to School and Your Dog

Back to school is an exciting time for your children. New bedtime routines, homework, sports, and other extracurricular activities quickly fill your schedule. The new commitments may result in your dog being home alone for extended amounts of time. Keeping your dog happy may require some extra quality time.

Ways to Spend Quality Time With Your Dog

Your dog loves attention from everyone in your family. Sneaking in some quality time will help ease the transition of returning to school. Consider the following ideas to help you or your family members spend more time with your dog.

Get Outdoors

On nice days, skip your gym routine to spend outdoor time with your dog.

  • Go for a long walk with your dog.
  • Hike together at a nearby nature trail.
  • Bike or skateboard with your dog by your side.
  • Go to the dog park.
  • Do outdoor chores together.

Go for Car Rides Together

When the weather permits, bring your dog along to run errands. When your dog is with you, always keep a close watch on the weather. Extreme heat or cold will quickly affect your dog’s health.

Visit Pet-Friendly Shops

Many stores welcome pets. Bringing your dog to the local pet store is the perfect opportunity to spend time together. Allow your dog to find a new toy or bone.

Special Treats

Do something special just for your dog.

  • Make homemade dog food.
  • Bake homemade treats.
  • Bring home a special treat from the pet store.

Cuddle Time

After a long day, cuddling on the couch together may be exactly what you and your dog needs.

When back to school schedules are full, make an effort to spend quality time with your dog. Talk to your dog as much as possible. Your dog loves being with you and loved ones.