Back to School season brings new dangers for your pets. As you prepare for this exciting time, take some precautions to ensure the safety of the whole family, including its four-legged members!
Hazards lurk in everyday items. Take extra care with:
- Toxic Foods: Chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, and onions are harmful and sometimes fatal to pets.
- Sugar-Free Gum: Sugar-free gum often contains xylitol, a substance highly toxic to dogs.
- Medications: Over-the-counter and prescription medications, including ADHD and inhaler medications, can be poisonous if ingested by pets.
- Small Objects: Pencils, pens, erasers, marker caps, and paperclips can cause choking or gastrointestinal blockages if swallowed.
- Art Supplies: Even non-toxic crayons, markers, and glue can lead to foreign body obstructions if a pet chews and swallows them.
- Other Items: Backpacks with loose straps can become tangled around a pet, and loose cords from electronic devices can pose electrocution risks.
How to Keep Your Pet Safe:
- Create a “No Pet Zone”: Designate a specific, secure area for backpacks, lunchboxes, and school supplies where pets cannot access them.
- Secure Storage: Use high shelves, closed cabinets, or even a pet-proof room to store these items out of reach.
- Inspect Backpacks: Check school bags daily and clean out any forgotten food scraps or potentially hazardous items before they become an attraction for your pet.
- Supervise Children: Ensure young children are supervised when playing with their pets to prevent any unintentional injury to the child or pet.
- Educate Your Family: Teach children the importance of putting away school supplies and keeping dangerous items out of the reach of pets.
- Buy Non-Toxic Supplies: When possible, purchase non-toxic art and school supplies, which will carry an “AP” (Approved Product) seal.
Enjoy the start of the new school year!!!