External Link to a list of cautions,

Foods, Poison, Poisonous plants etc

http://mooreshaven.com/pets/dogs/safety/badfoodslist.html

                         Spring/Summer

Make sure that your pet has a collar and identification tags.Springtime is an especially busy time for lost pet calls to shelters.Tragedy can be avoided by providing pets with ID-- an ID tag is a lost pets ticket home!

Take your pet for a check up. Test dogs for heart worm and groom pets regularly to check for fleas and ticks.Ask your vet about heart worm and flea preventive medication for both dogs and cats.

Install child/pet safety guards in windows. Even secure window screens may not hold the weight of a dog or cat.

Use lawn care products with caution.Common pesticides, especially those containing organophosphates are dangerous to pets. keep pets off treated areas for at least 24 hours.

Areas for animals left tied up outdoors should be free of entanglements. Tangled leashes keep animals from food shelter and water.

Leave pets at home. The inside of a car can heat up to 110 degrees in 10 minutes on an 80 degree day even with the windows slightly open. Your pet will suffer needlessly and could die when left in your car even on a moderately hot day.

Beware of overheating. a dogs normal rectal temperature of 101F can rocket to a dangerous 108F in a very short time.If overheating occures, cool the animal in a tub of cold water or drape cold wet towels around your animal and call your vet asap.

Rabbits run a close second behind dogs in overheating. Cut off the top of a plastic milk container filled full with water and freeze. Place the frozen ice in the rabbits cage to act both as a coolant and refreshment.

Exercise dogs and horses at the cooler times of the day.Early morning and later in the evening keeps them out of the hottest sun.

Keep pets calm and safe on the Fourth of July. Fireworks can be extremely frightening and stressful for pets. Keep pets in a cool, quiet room or in a kennel for the day, away from the fireworks. The room should have secure doors and windows...some dogs will jump through screens and windows to get away from the noise. If pets are outside, they should be on a leash, have proper id and should not be left with children or others who may not be able to control a frightened animal.Clean up fireworks fragments after the celebration as animals may be injured from playing with or ingesting leftover remnants.

    

                                         Fall

Be prepared in the great outdoors! If your dog accompanies you on camping and hiking trips, include your vets number, gauze, and hydrogen peroxide in your first aid kit.

Give pets nutritious snacks. Do not share your holiday meals or goodies with your pet. Poultry bones, scraps, and string are dangerous. Dispose of them in a pet-proof container. Rich holiday foods- especially chocolate can be hazardous for pets. Give pets treats that are specially made for their sensitive stomachs. Tell your visitors about the "No feeding the pets" rule.

Keep pets away from scary ghosts and goblins. Halloween can be a scary time for pets. The safest place for them is indoors away from the front door. free roaming pets can easily interpret trick-or-treaters as invasive strangers, becoming mean and aggressive.

 

                                    Winter

Beware of antifreeze!!! In just tiny amounts about 1/4tsp for a small dog or cat and 2tsp for a large dog is deadly if ingested. Clean up spills immediately, store chemicals securely away from pets, and look for products containing propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol.

Bring all pets indoors during frigid weather. Older, very young, or ill pets, pets not acclimated to the cold,and certain shorthaired breeds of dogs are especially sensitive to the cold. Trips outside should be kept brief to prevent frostbite.

Keep cats indoors. Free-roaming cats may curl up in wheel wells or under the warm hoods of cars. before starting the engine, bang on the hood or press the car horn to alert any sleeping animals.

Provide extra calories. Animals that are active outside may need extra nutritional calories in their diet to give them added energy needed in colder weather.This does not mean an excuse for extra "people food".

Shelter your pet!! If dogs spend time outside, they should be provided with proper shelter, which is dry and secure from the wind and weather. Fresh hay or cedar shavings provide dry bedding materials. The shelter should have a floor elevated from the ground.

Remove ice, snow,sand and salt. Thoroughly wipe off pets' foot pads and stomach fur with warm water when they come in from outside. Ice, rock salt and sand can be extremely irritating to animals skin.

Always supervise and keep your pet on a leash. Winter can spell trouble for pets that wander onto half frozen lakes and ponds. Plus, mounds of snow make it difficult to see animals running in the street.

Never leave your pet in the car. just as the sweltering heat of a car can kill pets, frigid temperatures can easily freeze pets do death. Never leave your pet in a running car.

Provide pets with a warm, draft free place to sleep. Caged pets, such as birds, hamsters and guinea pigs are especially sensitive to clod drafts. Keep cages in a warm dry area of the house.

Reprinted from WZZM 13 Advance Newspapers Weather Guide 2002