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Fall Safety Tips from The Croton Animal Hospital Veterinarians

By November 9th, 20175 Comments

Do the Fall Paw Safety Dance

Beware of these Falling Dangers: 

The crisp, cool air and beautiful foliage can make fall the most breathtaking of seasons. Not too hot – not too cold. But despite the pleasant perks fall ushers in, it also has its share of lurking dangers for our furry friends.

Here are some handy tips to keep your pets from falling into autumn’s hidden dangers. 

Beware of Rodenticides: 

The use of rat and mouse poisons increases in fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors.

Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, please do so with extreme caution and put them out of paws’ reach. 

Cold Weather Poisons: 

Fall, unfortunately, changes quickly into winter. In turn, many people get a quick change of their car’s engine coolant.

Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so any spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants – though they aren’t completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants. 

Keep an Eye on School Supplies: 

Fall can mean stocking up on supplies like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. Although these items are not highly toxic to pets, gastrointestinal upset or blockage can occur if they are ingested.

Be sure to keep school supplies up and away from your pet’s reach. 

Steer Clear of Mushrooms: 

Fall is one of the high seasons for mushrooms. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic can cause life-threatening problems in pets.

Since most toxic mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from nontoxic ones, the best way to prevent pets from ingesting these poisonous plants is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. 

Watch Out for Wildlife: 

Autumn is the season when snakes prepare for hibernation, and they are more out in the open than usual. This increases the possibility of bites in pets who are unlucky enough to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Pet parents should determine what kinds of venomous snakes may be lurking in their environment and where those snakes are most likely to be found, then avoid those areas to keep pets out of harm’s way. 

5 Comments

  • Kayla says:

    I didn’t know that autumn has hidden dangers for animals. My sister has a pet dog and it’s her dog’s a bit sickly in its first autumn. My mom suggested going to an animal hospital and shared this article with her. It says that rodenticides are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal.

  • I never knew that animals could get cold weather poisons in their system. I have a boxer puppy named Bella and I wanted to prepare to care for her in the fall. Thank you for the crucial care tips for animals.

  • My dad has a new dog and they want to make sure that it will be healthy. It was explained here that they should be careful of the cold weather poisons and mushrooms that will be harmful to the dog. Moreover, it’s advisable to go to trusted veterinarians in an animal hospital.

  • Amelie Yates says:

    Thanks a lot for sharing such an informative post with a nice explanation. I will certainly dig it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this website.

  • I agree that you should use extreme caution when using rodenticides because those are meant to kill small animals. My dog is pretty average-sized, but she could still get pretty sick if she were to ever eat the rat poison I have in my garage. I’ll make sure I have an animal hospital or vet in mind for any emergencies so that I’m not scrambling when I need them.

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