Your Home Is Your Sanctuary—
But Is It Safe for Your Pets?
They may be cute, but our four-footed friends can certainly make some poor decisions when it comes to their safety and well-being. So, as devoted pet-owners, it's crucial that we make sure our homes are safe.
Cleaning agents, plants, and our own medications (prescription and over the counter), may be toxic to cats and dogs. Even a multi-vitamin can be threatening to your pet.
Here are some guidelines to help keep your beloved (and curious) pet out of trouble:
Playing with string is risky business: If your pet likes to ingest string, it's a good idea to keep anything stringy– yarn, ribbons, twine, plastic tagging, dental floss— out of your pet's reach whether you're in the room or not. String can get stuck in an animal's internal tract and cause fatal damage.
Flush away the blue toilet water: Sure we all like a clean house, including a clean toilet bowl. But if you have a pet, forgo toilet cleaners that chemically treat the water. Many pets, either constantly or on occasion, will drink out of the toilet bowl.
Know what plants are toxic: While your pet may purge plant materials from time to time, ingesting some plants could be fatal. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal's Poison Control Center provides a list of toxic plants. For example, lilies are poisonous to felines.
Know what foods are toxic: Macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins have been blamed for acute renal failure in dogs. Other foods listed as toxic for pets by the ASPCA are: alcoholic beverages, avocado, chocolate, coffee, fatty foods, moldy or spoiled foods, onions and onion powder, salt, yeast dough, garlic, and products sweetened with sugar substitute, Xylitol.
Dispose of trash properly: A securely-closed trash can is often the last line of defense in keeping your pet from ingesting something harmful such as cigarettes, dental floss, or spoiled food. To be on the safe side, buy a trash can with a lid.
Keep dishwashers closed: Pet have burned their mouths licking water from a just-used and hot dishwasher so make sure your dishwasher, like all appliances, is closed.
Don't leave the Tylenol out: If you drop medicine, even a small tablet, find it and pick it up immediately. And make sure any medicine containers, even herbal remedies and multivitamins, are safely closed and stored out of your pet's reach.
Deny access: Just like keeping cleaning agents out of a toddler's reach, the same applies for your furry loved ones. As a pet owner, it's important to know what your pet is capable of, and then store anything harmful out of its reach.
Inventory your garage: It's also important to keep chemicals commonly stored in your garage out of your pet's reach. Just one teaspoon of antifreeze, for example, can be deadly to a cat. Store chemicals out of reach even if your pet typically stays indoors for many will sneak into the garage at least once.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side: But that doesn't stop your pampered pet from escaping from time to time. Make sure window screens are properly installed and doors are securely closed.
Act, don't panic: If a toxin does get on your furry friend's coat, wash it off with a safe soap and warm water before your pet tries to lick it off. If your pet falls into danger or gets sick, be prepared. Besides your veterinarian, know ahead of time who to contact during off-hours (such as a 24/7 pet hospital and the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center).
Protecting our beloved pets is important and it's just as important to protect your home with adequate homeowners insurance coverage. Get peace of mind when you get a quote today from the Esurance Homeowners Insurance Program.
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