6 hazards to keep your pet away from

Our pets make us so happy, so it makes sense we want to keep them happy and healthy as well! But there’s more to protecting your pets than just making sure they’re fed, watered, and exercised.

To help prevent incidents, you should keep your pet away from these six dangers around your house.

1. Fleas, ticks and other parasites

There are lots of little critters living in your backyard, often at the microscopic level! What’s more, you won’t be able to stop your pet from exploring the garden, rolling around in the grass, or adventuring into hidden nooks and crannies around your property.

What you can do is ensure they have flea, tick, and worming treatments every month. These can be purchased over the counter at your local pet store or vet. Also, you’ll want to regularly run your hands over your pet’s entire body to make sure there are no deadly ticks attached to them, especially during the peak season in spring.

2. Prolonged exposure to the sun

Your pet probably loves nothing more than to recline in the sunshine and doze off. That’s perfectly natural, but prolonged sun exposure can damage their skin and lead to all sorts of health problems (like skin cancers).

The solution? Make sure your pet has access to shade throughout the day, lots of water to keep their fluids up, and think about applying a pet-friendly sunscreen to the most exposed parts of their bodies, such as their nose.

3. Common foods around the house

Some of the tastiest human foods can actually be deadly for your furry friend. Here are some of the biggest culprits:

• Chocolate
• Grapes, sultanas and raisins
• Onions
• Garlic
• Avocado
• Macadamia nuts
• Coffee
• Cooked bones

If you still want to have these foods in your house, just make sure they’re stored away and unable to be reached by animals. Also, because you can’t watch your pet 24/7, make sure you have a pet emergency plan just in case!

4. Flowers and plants

Just like the foods listed above, there are plenty of common household and garden plants that are silent killers. Make sure you watch out for:

• Lilies
• Daffodils
• Hydrangeas
• Wisteria
• Tomato plants
• Tulips
• Rhubarb
• Some mushrooms
• Nightshade
• Cheery trees

5. Pesticides and household poisons

On the topic of plants and gardens, if you tend to spray outside with pesticides, make sure you’re using one that’s non-toxic for pets. It’s also a good rule of thumb to keep your pets indoors whenever you’re spraying outside.

There are lots of dangerous liquids inside the house too. Much like you’d keep the kids away from poisons, make sure your pets can’t get into cleaning and washing liquids, bug spray, bleach, carpet cleaners, toilet cleaners, and medication.

6. The backyard BBQ

It might be a staple of summer life here in Australia, but the humble barbecue can cause serious injury to your pets if they’re not monitored properly. Barbecues can get extremely hot and your pet may not realise they’ll be burnt until it’s too late. Likewise, the gas canister has the potential to cause big problems if your pet knocks it over and causes it to expel gas when not properly hooked up.

The best option is to keep your pets away from the barbecue whenever you’re using it, and to store it somewhere safe (and away from curious pets!) after you’re finished with it.

Protect your pet because you’re their frontline of safety

While it’s always a good idea to keep your pet from harm’s way by following the above tips, sometimes, pets can still get up to mischief and do something they shouldn’t do! This can lead to accidents and sometimes illness which may mean a costly trip to the vet. Vet bills can cost thousands of dollars, so you may also wish to protect yourself financially if your pet suddenly became ill or injured from accident by looking into pet insurance.