Seasonal Hazards

The first tulips of spring, the warm summer sun, sledding in the winter.   In Minnesota we enjoy a wide range of climactic conditions in addition to the usual seasonal and holiday concerns.  It is important to take this into account when it comes to our pets.  The following is a basic checklist of some common seasonal concerns.

 

Seasonal Info

Spring

Be aware of holiday hazards such as Chocolate Easter Bunnies, especially Dark Chocolate, and candy.  Flowers are always a nice gift, but remember that Lilies and other flowers can be fatal if ingested.  When performing spring cleaning, keep cleaners and household products away from pets.  Click here for more info

Summer

 Many summer hazards are heat related.   Always make sure your pet has access to water.  Avoid situations which cause heat-stress, such as walking pets in the heat of the day or leaving them in a hot car (even with the windows open).   Short-nosed breeds like Bulldogs and Pugs are more prone to having heat related problems.   There can be risks in the yard, such as poisonous plants, lawns that have been sprayed, cocoa bean mulch ingestion, or exposure to blue-green algae in local ponds.  Many pets have difficulty with thunderstorms and fireworks.  Make sure pets do not have access to rodent poison.

Autumn

 As schedules change, some pets have trouble adjusting to new school routines.   Halloween can be a fun time, but monitor access to chocolate and candy.  Trick-or-treaters can be very disturbing to pets not used to them, possibly causing them to run off.   As Thanksgiving approaches, make sure kitchen trash cans are not accessible to pets and house guests do feed table scraps such as turkey bones.

Winter

 Monitor tender paws for cracking or damage resulting from exposure to ice melting chemicals.    Make sure short haired breeds have warm sweaters for those chilly morning walks.  Anti-freeze is often fatal if ingested.   Beware of seasonal plants such as Mistletoe and other toxic plants, and also chocolate, ham & turkey bones.   Cords to Holiday lights should be out of reach.   Also monitor snow piles near fences so they do not become a “bridge” leading over the fence and out of your yard.

Household Hazards

 Be aware of other household hazards such as prescription medications, acetaminophen, vitamins, human tooth paste, cold medicines, anti-depressants, or chewing gum containing the sweetener xylitol.  Also be aware of dangerous human food such as bones, bacon grease, grapes/raisins, garlic, and table scraps.  There are many household cleaners and solvents that are toxic.   If in doubt, play it safe!