Autumn Safety Tips for Your Pets

While the cooler temperatures of autumn are a nice change of pace after a hot summer, there are some important issues to keep in mind about your pet during this season. As we move towards the holiday season, here are several helpful autumn safety tips for your pet:

Watch Out for Poisons, Rodenticides and Coolant

Since both mice and rats try to move indoors as it gets colder outside, people are more likely to use different pest poisons during this time of the year. These poisons may be used around the exterior of someone's home, as well as in commercial areas like golf courses. Since these poisons are highly toxic to all pets, it's important to be aware of where your pet is going and prevent it from getting near these types of dangers.

Engine coolant is another threat to be aware of whenever your pet is outside or even in a garage. The type of coolant that's most toxic to pets is ethylene glycol-based. As a pet owner, you may want to switch to propylene glycol-based coolant. Although these coolants aren't completely nontoxic, they aren't as deadly as the others. Just remember that ethylene glycol-based coolants are still most prevalent, so keep a close eye on your pet if it's ever close to a spill or puddle.

School Supplies and Candy

If you have kids who are getting back into the swing of school, chances are your home has items like markers and glue sticks sitting around. While these items aren't nearly as toxic as things like rodenticides or ethylene glycol-based coolants, they can cause blockages and gastrointestinal upset if ingested. Halloween candy presents the same and potentially higher danger, which is why it's best to keep all these items well out of reach of your pet.

Mushrooms and Snakes

Most of the mushrooms that you may see growing outside have little or no toxicity. However, a small percentage of mushrooms are extremely toxic. Because it's very hard to tell the extremely toxic ones from others, it's important to keep your pet away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. If mushrooms often spring up in your yard overnight, be sure to pull them up before letting your pet out in the morning.

Snakes are the last autumn danger we want to highlight. This is the time of year when snakes are preparing for hibernation, which is why bites become more likely. You can protect your pet by keeping it away from any areas with lots of debris.

By being aware of these potential dangers, you can fully enjoy fall with your pet while both staying safe!

How to Help If Your Dog Gets Motion Sickness

Countless movies and TV shows have scenes of dogs riding in cars. In many cases, a dog happily has its head out the window and is letting its tongue wag in the wind. While it is true that dogs of all breeds and sizes really love going for car rides, there are issues a dog can encounter. Specifically, some dogs suffer from motion sickness. If you believe that this may be an issue for your dog, keep reading to learn what you can do to help your pet.

Understanding Motion Sickness and Dogs

Motion sickness is most commonly seen in puppies and younger dogs. A big reason is the ear structures used for balance are still developing while a dog is young. One thing to remember is if a dog experiences nausea during its first few car rides, it may have that negative association for a long time. So the sooner you can treat a dog's motion sickness, the better.

What exactly are the symptoms of motion sickness in dogs? In addition to vomiting, fear of cars, excessive drooling, whining, yawning, panting, uneasiness, listlessness or inactivity are all potential symptoms of this condition. In general, noticing multiple symptoms means there's a very high likelihood your dog has motion sickness. The other important thing to know about motion sickness is stress can be a contributing factor.

Treatment Options for Motion Sickness

If your dog vomits or displays any of the other symptoms we covered during car rides, it's worth taking a trip to your vet. This is the best way to determine if the problem is motion sickness or another issue like an orthopedic condition.

Once a veterinarian determines that motion sickness is the problem, there are a number of ways you can help your dog. The first is to have your dog face forward during rides. You can use a canine seat belt to keep your dog in this position. Next, lower your windows a few inches to equalize the inside and outside air pressures. Keep your vehicle cool throughout the ride.

If possible, try to avoid giving your dog food and water right before a ride. You can use a couple of healthy pet treats to help your dog feel good about getting in the car. The same is true for giving your dog a favorite toy to use as a distraction.

By following those tips and initially limiting your rides to short trips, you may be able to help your dog build up a positive tolerance for the car. If not, you can talk to your vet about using a dog medication that's specifically approved for preventing vomiting due to motion sickness.