Pets need three things: love, a healthy diet, and a safe environment. To help you provide a safe, loving environment, ADT have created a top 10 pet safety tips.
The following are the top 10 safety tips to help your pet live a long, safe life:
- Dogs and cats need proper identification. Make sure they have an I.D. tag with updated contact information. Pet microchip implants have also been particularly useful in the return of lost animals and can even assist when the ownership of an animal is being disputed.
- Before travelling on vacation with or without your pet, visit the veterinarian for any appropriate shots and medication refills.
- Animal poison control experts tend to see an increase in cases on Valentine's Day due to chocolates and lilies. Be careful to keep your Valentine's Day goodies away from pets.
- To help prevent accidental falls and kitchen fires, don't allow pets in the kitchen while you are cooking.
- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends using restraints on pets while in the car to prevent harm to the animals, driver and other passengers.
- If you plan on taking your pet on a boat in the summer, make sure you have an appropriately sized life jacket for your dog or cat. Remember, not all animals know how to swim.
- Certain breeds of dogs are unable to swim, research your dog's breed. If they are unable to swim, take precautions to keep them safe around water.
- Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car. Even if it doesn't seem too hot or it's only for a few minutes, the temperature inside your car can quickly rise past 30 degrees. Opening windows for airing doesn’t provide enough adequate ventilation.
- Take time to check your dog's collar and name tag. Be sure that it is tight but not too tight (you should be able to fit 2 fingers under the collar). Check to be sure that the contact information on the collar is up-to-date.
- Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages can potentially poison pets. If your pet ingests alcohol it could become very intoxicated and weak, or could even experience respiratory failure.
