How Safe Is Your Home for Your Dogs?

As risky as a dog can sometimes prove to a home,similarly the home can even be that much more dangerous to a dog. Some pet owners discovered this the hard way, to their great trouble (and still greater expense) through the years.

Death By Chocolate is not a such an amusing notion in the canine world. Neither, for that matter, is death by fly bait, death by the ever lethal antifreeze, nor the uncanny death by lead paint poisoning.

As risky as a dog can sometimes prove to a home,similarly the home can even be that much more dangerous to a dog. Some pet owners discovered this the hard way, to their great trouble (and still greater expense) through the years.

Death By Chocolate is not a such an amusing notion in the canine world. Neither, for that matter, is death by fly bait, death by the ever lethal antifreeze, nor the uncanny death by lead paint poisoning.

Whether you are preparing to welcome a new dog into your residence or you already have a dog as your home companion, the following safety tips will help guarantee your pet's continued health and happiness:

All medications, vitamins, herbal teas and other remedies are potentially toxic to dogs and should be kept carefully stored in closed cabinets or drawers.

Household cleansers and motor additives, especially antifreeze, should also be kept perfectly out of their reach. The bottles should be carefully disposed of when emptied.

Blue boxes and other garbage bins ought to be kept tightly lidded at all times.

Do not place insect, cockroach or rodent traps where a dog can easily smell them.

Always set down a clean bowl of water out for your dog and discourage it from drinking from the toilet bowl. Also keep the toilet lid down. As an extra precaution, don't use automatic toilet bowl fresheners when you have pets around.

Do not leave food around that could kill a dog.

This is especially crucial in the case of chicken (brittle bones can puncture a dog's digestive tract) and chocolate (which can cause canine blindness and death).

For the same reason, try to keep tiny, easily swallowed items such as coins, toys and ornaments safely out of the pet's reach.

Bundle up those temptingly chewable electrical wires prior to coating them with a bitter-tasting solution, which is available through most pet centers and vet's offices.

Some household and garden plants, can also be dangerous to a dog.

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