It’s that time of year! It is time to pull out your cleaning supplies, duster, and vacuum and start cleaning every inch of your house; or, for some of us, just hitting the high spots! No matter how or when you clean, there are things that need to stay out of the reach of your pet. In addition to cleaning supplies, many other common household products can be detrimental to your dog’s health. It is important to know what products can be harmful and to be able to recognize the signs of poisoning.
If you suspect that you dog has ingested any sort of chemical, cleaner, or any of the items below, then contact your veterinarian immediately! Even if your pet is not showing a reaction to the product, you should still seek medical advice. Do not induce vomiting unless ordered by your veterinarian.
Step 1
Check your laundry room:
Laundry detergents and fabric softeners are toxic to your pet. Fabric softeners are especially harmful and can cause severe mouth burns, vomiting, and weakness of the muscles. Laundry detergents should be kept in rooms inaccessible to your pet, or placed on shelves.
Step 2
Check home items containing bleach:
Most households have bleach on hand. Bleach is great for a number of things. However, it contains numerous harmful chemicals. Sodium peroxide and hypochlorite are two such harmful chemicals found in bleach. Bleach can harm your dog by inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. If skin contact occurs, then immediately give your dog a bath. Symptoms of bleach inhalation include coughing and difficulty breathing. Vomiting, sore throat, and abdominal pain are associated with ingestion. Like detergents, keep bleach out of your pet’s reach.
Step 3
Check toilet cleaners:
Most toilet bowl cleaners contain acids that can hurt your dog. Symptoms include vomiting, lack of appetite, and ulcers. When cleaning the bathroom, it’s a good idea to keep your dog in another area of the house. Don’t close the door though; breathing in chemicals can also affect you! In addition to acids, toilet bowl cleaners contain alkalis (found in batteries) that cause more severe acid reactions.
Batteries and dishwashing detergents also contain alkalis and should be kept away from pets. The best place to keep dishwashing liquid is under the counter. If your pet likes to rummage through the cabinets, then you should consider using child-safe locks on those cabinets.
Step 4
Check closets&room corners:
Children can mistake mothballs for candy, and dogs can do the same. Mothballs contain insecticides. Insecticides cause vomiting and can lead to seizures. If you use mothballs, make sure you put them in areas that are inaccessible to your dog or child.
Step 5
Check household plants:
Household plants can also pose a danger to your pooch. Do your research and find out if your plants are safe. Often, typing the name of the plant into a search engine can produce desired results.
These are just some of the common plants that can hurt pets. If you must keep these plants indoors, then put them out of the reach of any animal in your home.
Step 6
Check other harmful household products:
Cleaning supplies are not the only things that can harm your pet indoors.
These items can contain boric acid, which is harmful for your pet. If ingested, boric acid can cause seizures, drooling, and vomiting.
Chocolate and other substances containing caffeine should not be left lying around. These items can cause symptoms similar to, and as dangerous as, poisoning.
Poisoning should not be your only worry with pets. They can also ingest plastic wrap or candy wrappers. Ingestion of these items can cause esophagus problems or suffocation.
Spring cleaning means using cleaning supplies that can cause serious problems for your dog or other animals in your home. When cleaning, try to keep your dog is a separate area. If that is not feasible, then make sure your dog cannot reach the supplies. Once again, common items that can hurt your pet include toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs, mouthwash, bleach, fabric softeners, contact lens solution, batteries, lilies, ferns, and aloe. If you suspect that your dog has ingested any one of these items (or other items not listed), then contact your veterinarian immediately. Unless instructed by your veterinarian, never try to induce vomiting. It’s a good idea to speak with your veterinarian beforehand about what you should do if there is an emergency. Keep those chemicals out of reach and your dog healthy!
Article provided by Pet Super Store a site featuring:
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