Springtime pet safety tips

Heyo! How are you guys doing? I hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful season! Everything is blooming beautifully; it’s time to get out and enjoy the fresh air and nice sunshine!

Even though spring is a wonderful season, it may also be troublesome for you. Currently, I’m suffering terribly with allergies because of all the pollen in the air. However, that doesn’t stop me from having fun outdoors with my friends and my pets! There are some potential dangers in our pet’s environment and as pet owners, we should take precautions to ensure their safety and enjoyment. Here are some tips to help keep pets safe!

1. Store your cleaning products in a safe place: Now is the perfect time to have some fun spring cleaning projects with your family. Be sure to keep your cleaning products and chemicals away from your pet. Most of our cleaning products, including natural ones, contain chemicals that may be harmful to pets.

2. Check your yard for hazards: Store your fertilizer and lawn products away from your pet. It’s sunny and warm in spring; your furbaby would like to spend more time outside. You don’t want them to accidentally consume these products and create a health issue for them. Also, please read all labels and follow all of the product’s instructions and recommended waiting period after application to avoid harming your pet, especially after you spray pesticide. Lastly, don’t forget to check your fence and gates to prevent your pet from escaping from your home.

3. Watch out for toxic plants during your walkies: Many pretty flowers bloom and grow. While your pets are enjoying their time outdoors sniffing away and exploring, there are some plants that are toxic for our pets and we need to watch out for them. You can save a toxic plant list in your phone so you can always have the list to help you identify them when you are outside. This list will help you prevent serious illness for your pets. We will have a future blog post that provides a list of toxic plants for dogs and cats.

4. Keep up with flea and tick preventions: Flowers and plants aren’t the only ones growing. With rising temperatures, bugs are also growing and breeding. As pet owners, we need to ensure our pet is protected from bugs since ticks, fleas, and mosquitos will be around us. If you see any still water sources in your home, make sure to remove them and keep the area dry. The most important thing is to keep up with your pet’s flea and tick preventions; most products kill those pests before they transmit disease to your pets. You can consult this with your vet to see what product is best for you, and don’t forget to fill out your descriptions.

5. Keep up with your pet’s vaccines: Vaccines help prevent many illnesses and diseases. With more time spent outdoors, we are going to encounter more strangers, new environments, and other pets. It’s best to keep up with all your pet’s vaccines, especially rabies shots, to help your pet maintain a strong immune system. If you haven’t done it yet, please contact your vet to schedule an appointment as early as possible.

6. Be mindful of seasonal allergies: Pets are just like us and might have seasonal allergies like we do. If you notice your pets start to itch or sneeze, please contact your Vet to help you determine what your pets are allergic to. That way, you can help your pets limit their exposure to what they’re allergic to.

7. Watch out for bees and wildlife: You have seen pictures and videos of what bees can do to your pet. A small bee sting could cause minor swelling and might not be a serious issue to your pet; however, that also depends on where your pet got stung or whether your pet is allergic to bees. Please ensure your pets stay away from bees - to protect your pet and bees. The same goes for wildlife: teach your pet to stay away from wildlife to prevent harm for both of them.

8. Don’t forget to update your pet’s ID tag and microchip information: It is super important to keep our pet’s owner information updated at all times. Just in case if we lose our pets, this small step can provide whoever finds your pet the information to contact you right away!

Spring is a wonderful season and it’s important to take precautions to ensure you and your pet’s safety and fun. By following these tips, we can enjoy more adventure together and create beautiful memories with our pets. Cheers!!