FURR BABIES...

The girls hope all their furr friends are doing well, a big BOW WOW to each! Here's some tips for all our furr loving friends.

Essential Ways to Safeguard Animals from Household Dangers:

It is important to read all product labels, including those for new and improved formulas of products you've used before. For example, some powerful cleaning products have added lye, which should not be used in any pet areas.
Remember that animals and humans can have reactions to most any commercial product, and that a crawling child or a pet could pick up residue off a floor, then ingest it when licking hands or paws.
Many people are reducing their use of commercial cleaning products. Instead, they use commonly available, simple ingredients often recommended in Hints from Heloise, including water, baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, club soda and cornstarch. Properly used and combined, these products can clean just about anything. In addition, the natural cleaning alternatives as well as pet mess-specific products such as Simple Solution typically work quite effectively for a wide range of cleaning needs. Some folks also keep ammonia and bleach in their arsenal. Never mix ammonia and bleach, since that combination is dangerously toxic.
Many people, including those who do not have pets or children, are curtailing use of pesticides and other garden chemicals in favor of the many nontoxic alternatives now available. The Internet is a great resource for finding nontoxic and less toxic alternatives and better garden/lawn care techniques.
Do not let pets into areas where cleaners, pesticides, rodent traps and other potentially toxic items are used or stored. Warning: some dogs can open cabinet doors, so childproof latches may be needed...or store the hazardous items in higher cabinets.
Close the doors of dishwashers, clothes washers, dryers and other appliances and cabinets.
When using a self-cleaning oven for the first couple of times, protect pets from fumes by keeping them far away from the kitchen.
Make sure your dog can't get into waste baskets and trash cans.
Drinking water from toilets can upset the gastrointestinal tract. Tablets, continuous-cleaning products and other cleaning agents that are present in the water can lead to vomiting, nausea and much worse. Prevention, as always, is best. Keep toilet lids down if you and your family members do not always close the bathroom and powder room doors.
And since pets drink from toilets only when they are thirsty, keep their water bowls filled with clean water and make sure they have easy access to the bowl. Some people keep water bowls in several places in their homes.
If your dog has ingested toilet water but seems okay, you can dilute any effects by feeding him a mixture of milk and water. Go to the vet if the animal seems ill.
Another reason to keep bathroom doors closed: puppies, dogs and cats have gotten hurt slipping down tub edges, and have suffered seriously burns from accidentally turning on faucets. Drowning is also possible.
Do not give pets access to garages or sheds, or to basements in which toxins and other dangers may be present.
Keep your dogs away from lawns and other areas recently treated with fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides.
Store automotive products such as gasoline, oil and antifreeze in areas that are inaccessible to pets. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a cat; less than one tablespoon can be lethal to a 20-pound dog.

Please take these steps to protect animals from antifreeze poisoning:

1. Regardless of the type of antifreeze used, keep it in a childproof container and (since animals can chew through many containers) keep the containers out of reach of animals.
2. Repair any leaking vehicle hoses.
3. Make sure pets are indoors when you change or add antifreeze and other automotive products.
4. Wipe up spills without delay to protect pets.
5. Do not drain radiators into ditches or storm drains.
6. To store used antifreeze before disposal, put it into a clearly labeled, sealed container. Recycle or dispose of it at a garage with appropriate facilities for disposing of antifreeze. Check with your local government for your local household hazardous waste collection days and sites.
7. If your pet returns from outside covered with an unknown substance, wash it off immediately.
8. Auto window washing fluids and products to prevent freezing in plumbing can also contain ethylene glycol. Check the ingredients, and if it contains EG, treat it the same as antifreeze.
9. Switch to less-toxic propylene glycol-formulated antifreeze, but still take the steps above.
10. Persuade pet owners never to leave pets in garages and workshops.

Before buying a flea product, consult your veterinarian, especially when treating a sick, injured or pregnant pet.
Before using any product on your pet or in your home, always read the label and follow the directions.
If a product is designed only for dogs, it should not be used on cats, and vice versa. If you're unsure of how to use a product properly, contact the manufacturer and your veterinarian for instructions.
Cords and plugs can look like chew toys to pets. Tape down or cover cords to help avoid shocks, burns or other serious injuries. Unplug lights when you are not home. Power strips and outlets: if you have a puppy or overly curious or clumsy pet, cover all open outlet holes so pets cannot stick claws or tongues in them.
You can keep dogs from gnawing electrical wires if the wires are enclosed in metal braided sleeving, which is available from various companies.
To repel dogs from household items from wood molding to cushions to electrical cords, make them undesirable. To do this, you can coat them with hair spray or Bitter Apple. First, coat a cotton swab and have the dog approach it. The swab will taste bad when the dog licks it. Then liberally spray the hair spray on items, including places the dog chewed before. The spray's smell and taste will repel the dog.
Floor vents. Pets can get their tags or paws caught in floor vents. Here is a solution using the nylon netting found in pot scrubber balls. Wrap two or three layers of netting over the top of the vent, around the sides and ends, and fasten the vent down tight. Even if your dog catches a nail in it, that's better than his face being pinned down against a hot vent. The netting also works over fan covers where fingers or tails can poke through.
Use fireplace screens to avoid burns.
Wheelchairs. If a household member or guest has a wheelchair, be watchful. Dogs and other pets have gotten caught and hurt in the wheel spokes whether or not the chair is in use. When not in use, store wheelchairs in a room or closet that the dog cannot access.
If you put your dog in a wire crate, minimize the changes of his dog tags and collar getting caught in the wire bars. Dogs have choked this way. To reduce the risk, make sure you have a properly fitted floor of some sort that extends to all edges of the wire crate bottom, such as a crate pan and dog bedding. Also make sure the collar is fitted well and that the tags don't hang down too far. You can also remove the collar before crating the dog, but (1) don't leave the collar on top of the crate enabling the dog to reach and chew it, and (2) do be sure to put the collar back on immediately upon releasing the dog from the crate. You want to make sure your pet wears current I.D. at all times in case he gets loose outside the home.
For front and back doors, check latches and doorknobs from time to time and keep in good repair. Check gates and fences outside while you're at it.
If your dog is excitable or has a high prey drive, he can break through a plate glass window or tear through a screen door to chase wild animals, birds, another dog, the mail carrier, etc. So it's best to close the solid entrance doors and sliding glass doors...and don't leave windows open when you're not home. In addition, if you have low-lying windows, you could block the dog's access to those windows when you're not present to supervise.
To keep pets from falling through steps that are open in the back, you can install shower curtain rods to block the opening by twisting the rods until they fit tight.
To keep pets from falling from heights after squeezing through indoor or outdoor railing, line the railings with mesh.
Block access to window wells near sub-ground level basements and sunken cellar entrances so that dogs don't fall in and get stuck or injured.
Block access to indoor/outdoor heating and air conditioning components and power supply lines to prevent injury and electrocution. Dogs have been electrocuted when scratching, chewing or even touching such power lines.
Big risks come with using doggie doors. It's dangerous to allow pets to go outside when you're not there to supervise. You might return home to find an injured or missing pet, or a liability claim from a neighbor. Plus wild animals have been known to enter homes through pet doors. If you do have a doggie door, please block access whenever you are not home to supervise.
Invisible and electric fences also are risky, since power interruptions render them useless. Other drawbacks: unwanted animals and people can enter the "fenced" area...and highly motivated dogs won't be deterred from chasing a cat, mail carrier, etc.
If you have a pool, block the pet's access. Completely cover the pool with a sturdy cover when not in use. Furthermore, install graded steps out of the pool, since a dog can't climb a ladder. Train your dog how to get out of the pool in case an accident happens.
Keep ornaments, decorations and candles far out of reach of pets. Ingestion of any ornament, which might look like a toy to pets, can result in life-threatening emergencies. Even ornaments made from dried food can lead to ailments. And shards from broken glass ornaments can injure paws.
Avoid toxic decorations. Bubbling lights contain fluid that can be inhaled or ingested, snow sprays and snow flock can cause reactions when inhaled, styrofoam poses a choking hazard, tinsel can cause choking and intestinal obstruction, and water in snow scenes may contain toxic organisms such as Salmonella. Choose safer decorations for homes with pets and children.
Dispose of candy wrappers, aluminum foil pieces, wrapping and ribbons before pets can choke on them.
If your pet ingests glass, broken plastic, staples or other small, sharp objects, call your veterinarian.
In the meantime, you can give your dog supplemental fiber in the form of whole wheat or other high-fiber bread, canned pumpkin or Metamucil, any of which can help bulk up the stools the help the foreign material pass through the dogs digestive system. Dosages depend on the size of the dog. For Metamusil, try a teaspoon for a small dog, a tablespoon for a big dog. For pumpkin, feed one-quarter to two-thirds of a cup. Dogs have gotten injured from power and manual tools. So don't allow pets in areas in which work is being done, and put all tools away when not in use. The same goes for garden tools (trip hazards, prongs can puncture skin or eyes, can topple on to the animal), which have caused injuries to people as well as pets.
Nicotine is bad for animals too. Tobacco products can even be fatal to canines, felines and birds if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisoning often develop within 15 to 45 minutes, according to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Signs can include excitation, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Advanced signs include muscle weakness, twitching, depression, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest; death can occur secondary to respiratory paralysis. So keep cigarettes, cigars nicotine patches and nicotine gum out of your pet's reach. Butts contain plenty ofnicotine, so dump ashtrays frequently.
Learn more about potentially hazardous everyday products and safer alternatives by doing easy Internet searches.
Keep a pet first aid/emergency kit accessible in your home and in your car.

Have a good Hump Day. Keep them paws up y'all, WOOF WOOF!