10 Ways to Poison Proof Your Home
Photo courtesy of Brilliantology. (Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
It’s often only when something happens that we take preventative measures to keep it from happening again. However, in the case of poison and our canine friends, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Here are ten easy steps to make sure your dog is safe from poisons in his own home.
- Study up on poisonous plants that could be in your home or garden. Even the prettiest bunch from the florist can be harmful! Check out what could be dangerous to your dog at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants
- Suss out what human foods can be toxic to your dog. Never feed them goodies such as raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, unbaked yeast bread dough, fatty foods, and of course, chocolate. Make sure they’re out of reach too!
- Prevent your pooch from raiding the trash. Just the slightest rip in the garbage bag and your dog could have access to all those discarded cigarette butts, coffee grounds, moldy dairy products, and chicken bones. Keep them behind closed doors.
- Keep all alcoholic beverages out of reach. For example, beer hops are very poisonous to dogs leading them to become restless, pant excessively, and may have muscle seizures. Be sure to clean up quickly and efficiently if any spills of an alcoholic beverage occur.
- Keep medications safely locked up in secure cupboards. Larger dogs especially can be prone to “counter surfing,” giving them easy access to countertops and tables, but even the smallest of pooches have been known to find their ways!
- Lock away all of your cleaning products. Try placing your dog in another room while cleaning your kitchen and bathroom to limit their exposure to harmful substances. And, even better, use non-toxic, environmentally-friendly cleaning products that are made from natural substances such as coconut oils, sage, lavender, and chamomile.
- Keep that toilet seat down! A dog drinking water from the toilet bowl may make a comical sight but it’s a hazardous habit, especially if toxic cleaning products like hanging toilet bowl cleaners, are used
- Don’t leave batteries lying around. Their size can make them very appealing as toys to our canine friends, but chewing them can lead to serious harm.
- Be careful when gardening! Dogs like to eat certain fertilizers such as bone meal or blood meal. Keep bags tightly sealed and use products according to label instructions.
- Read the ingredients on snail killers and yard insecticides carefully. Those containing metaldehyde, organophosphates or carbamates can be very harmful if ingested in high concentrations. These chemicals are so alluring that dogs will often ingest large amounts as though it’s dog kibble. Don’t keep them onsite. Instead, replace them with a natural alternative such as diatomaceous earth or seaweed mulch.
By reading labels, switching to natural household products, and employing general common sense, you’ll make your home a much safer place for your canine and your entire family
One Response on “10 Ways to Poison Proof Your Home”
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Very informative, Thank you! Nice write up, Bec!