Common Household Poisons for Pets
Many everyday products we use or keep around the house can be toxic to dogs and cats. Some of the most common include:

1. Human Medications Pain relievers (like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen), antidepressants, and cold medicines can be extremely toxic to pets, even in small amounts.
Tip: Always store medications in closed cabinets and never leave pills on counters or nightstands.

2. Cleaning Products Bleach, disinfectants, and laundry pods contain chemicals that can cause burns or poisoning if ingested or inhaled.Tip: Keep cleaning products locked away, and let floors or surfaces dry completely before letting pets roam.
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3. Toxic FoodsSeveral foods that are safe for humans can be deadly for pets, including:
Chocolate
Grapes and raisins
Onions and garlic
Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum, peanut butter, and some baked goods)
Alcohol and caffeine

4. Poisonous Plants Many common houseplants and garden flowers are unsafe for pets. Examples include lilies (toxic to cats), tulips, azaleas, and sago palms.
Tip: Before bringing a new plant home, check if it’s pet-safe.

5. Rodent and Insect Poisons Rat poison, slug bait, and certain insecticides are highly toxic — and pets can be poisoned even by eating a poisoned rodent.
Tip: Opt for pet-safe pest control alternatives whenever possible.

⚠️ Signs Your Pet May Have Been Poisoned Recognizing the symptoms early can make all the difference. Common signs of poisoning include:
Drooling or foaming at the mouth
Vomiting or diarrhea
Lethargy or weakness
Tremors, seizures, or loss of balance
Pale or yellow gums
Unusual behavior (agitation, confusion, or hiding)
If you notice any of these symptoms — or suspect your pet may have eaten something toxic — contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately.
You can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888) 426-4435 for guidance.

Pet Poison Prevention Tips

1. Pet-Proof Your Home: Store chemicals, medications, and food out of reach.

2. Keep Trash Secure: Use pet-proof bins or place trash cans behind closed doors.

3. Check Before You Share: Always verify if a treat or snack is safe for pets.

4. Use Pet-Safe Products: Choose non-toxic cleaning supplies and garden care products.

5. Educate Your Family: Make sure everyone in the household knows what’s dangerous for pets.

❤️ Final Thoughts Pet poison prevention starts with awareness. By knowing what’s toxic and keeping harmful substances out of reach, you can protect your furry friends from accidental poisoning and ensure a long, healthy life together.

​If you ever suspect your pet has been exposed to something harmful, don’t wait — call your vet immediately. Quick action can save your pet’s life.

🎃 Halloween Pet Safety Tips: How to Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe This Spooky SeasonHalloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year—but for our pets, it can be full of hidden dangers. From chocolate treats to noisy trick-or-treaters, this spooky night can quickly become stressful or even hazardous for dogs and cats.
As a responsible pet parent, it’s important to plan ahead. Follow these Halloween safety tips for pets to keep your furry family members happy, healthy, and safe all night long.

🍬 1. Keep Halloween Candy Away from Pets. Chocolate, candy, and sugar-free gum may taste great to humans, but they can be toxic to dogs and cats. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is poisonous to pets, and xylitol, a common sugar substitute, can cause life-threatening drops in blood sugar.
Pet safety tip:

• Store all candy in secure containers and out of reach.
• Teach kids not to share Halloween treats with pets.
• If your pet eats candy or chocolate, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately.

🐾 2. Choose Pet Costumes Carefully. Costumes are adorable—but not every pet enjoys dressing up. Ill-fitting or restrictive costumes can cause overheating, stress, or injury.
Dog and cat costume safety tips:

• Make sure the costume fits comfortably and doesn’t restrict breathing, movement, or vision.
• Avoid costumes with small pieces or strings that can be chewed or swallowed.
• Always supervise your pet while they’re dressed up.

If your pet seems uncomfortable, a festive collar or bandana is a safer way to celebrate.

3. Secure Pets During Trick-or-Treating. Constant doorbell rings and the excitement of trick-or-treaters can be stressful for pets. Many dogs and cats try to run out the door during the commotion.
Halloween home safety tips for pets:

• Keep pets in a quiet room away from the front door.
• Play calming music or white noise to reduce stress.
• Make sure your dog or cat is wearing an up-to-date ID tag and has a registered microchip in case they escape.

4. Be Careful with Halloween DecorationsJack-o’-lanterns, fake cobwebs, and string lights make great decorations—but they can also be dangerous for curious pets.
Pet-safe decorating tips:

• Use battery-powered candles instead of open flames.
• Keep electrical cords and string lights out of reach.
• Avoid fake spider webs or small plastic decorations that could cause choking or intestinal blockage.

😺 5. Manage Halloween Noise and Crowds. Pets are frightened by loud noises, flashing lights, or people in costumes. Stress can cause pets to hide, shake, or even behave aggressively.
Pet anxiety prevention tips:

• Give your dog or cat a safe, quiet space to relax in.
• Close curtains and keep lights low to reduce stimulation.
• Avoid taking pets trick-or-treating unless they are calm and well-socialized.

🌙 6. Stay Visible When Walking Your Dog. If you take your dog for a walk on Halloween night, make sure you can both be seen.
Pet walking safety tips:

• Use reflective collars, leashes, or LED lights.
• Stay alert for dropped candy or decorations on sidewalks.
• Keep your dog close and avoid busy areas with lots of trick-or-treaters.

🧡 Final Thoughts: Keep Pets Safe This Halloween. Halloween is a time for fun, but it’s also a night filled with potential hazards for pets. By following these Halloween pet safety tips, you can ensure your dogs and cats stay healthy, calm, and safe during the festivities.
Remember: when in doubt, contact your veterinarian for professional advice about pet safety and emergency care.

​Cat trees or pole-style trees are good for cats because they provide a safe and comfortable place to rest, play, and scratch. It's soothing for a cat to be surrounded by its own scent and to be able to spread their scent. Also very good for cats that are anxious or skittish.
Cats living indoors need a tree condo to climb on that helps with the wild instinct in the cat. It also helps with unwanted behaviors like aggression,    scratching furniture, and keeps nails growth under control. 
Cat trees come with cabby holes, deep beds, and hiding spots to make them feel safe.

​When looking for a plan the important question is: what are your pet(s) needs, the policy you're considering purchasing should provide the coverage your pet(s) need. Your veterinarian would be a good resource to help you understand pet insurance and which plan would be the right fit for you and your pet(s). Most pet insurance companies offer three main plans that vary in what they will cover:
Accident-only pet insurance plans
Accident and illness plans
Wellness/preventive pet insurance plans

Accident-only pet insurance plan covers costs associated with accidents, including some emergency veterinary expenses. Be very careful often, there is a misconception that everything emergency is covered by accident-only plans. Your idea of an accident and the insurance company's idea of an accident might be very different, read the fine print. Make sure you understand the deductible 

Accident and Illness Pet Insurance Coverage generally covers both accident and health conditions like 
diabetes, joint disease, and cancers.

Pet wellness plans: This is sold as an add-on to traditional accident accidents and illness. This plan can be purchased as a standalone policy. Wellness plans cover routine vaccinations, annual checkups, heartworm testing, and parasite prevention medications for heartworms, fleas, and ticks. Not all plans cover dental care. They might cover dental cleanings but no tooth extraction. The tooth extraction might be covered under accident and illness policy.

​It's been so hot, here are the signs of heatstroke: excessive panting, dehydration, disorientation, exhaustion, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Put your pet into a shady location immediately.
Put a cold towel on their head and the back of their neck only. Do not cover anything else. Repeatedly remove and wet the towel, so it stays cool.
If possible continuously pour room temperature to lukewarm water over their entire body. Do not use ice or cold water.
Use a fan to blow air over their body. Keep removing excess water accumulating on their body as it absorbs the body heat.
Stop cooling your pet when its temperature reaches 102.5 to 103 F. You can also feel the pet's body temperature is cooler. Be sure you don't over-cool your pet.
Even if the pet looks like it's improving have your veterinarian take a look.

Safety should always be at the forefront of your mind. it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings and to also be familiar with any areas you will be walking dogs. If any areas of the potential route are secluded or poorly lit, plan an alternate route. Always be focused on the dog and your surroundings when walking Your dog. Talking on your phone or having your earbuds in to listen to music or a podcast may prevent you from noticing a person, other pet, or vehicle approaching you. Do not let your dog lead, bite the leash, or go out without ID. Be sure your dog is microchipped in case he/she gets loose.

​Snakes are more active in the warmer weather if you come across one do nothing, walk around it, do not try to poke it, or agitate it. They don't want to harass you, let them go about their business. If you get bitten by a non-venomous snake, what you need to do is to wash the spot with soap. Usually, snakes let go as soon as they bite, occasionally the snake doesn't let go, gently pull its head from your skin. This happens to people who try to pick up a snake with their hands.
If you get bitten by a venomous snake, go to the hospital as soon as possible. Do not handle venomous snakes unless you are trained or certified.
The venomous snakes rattlesnakes and copperheads have triangular-shaped heads, coral snakes have round pupils colored bands in a pattern of black, yellow, and red. 
The venomous snakes rattlesnakes and copperheads have triangular-shaped heads, coral snakes have round pupils colored bands in a pattern of black, yellow, and red. If you have a non-venomous snake in your yard don't kill it. If it is a venomous snake call the Fisheries, Wildlife they will come out and move it out of the way for you.
Snakes are important because they keep rodent populations in check. Snakes also serve as the prey of other wildlife such as raptors hawks, falcons, kites, eagles vultures, and owls. 

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Protect your pet against the heat place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you cannot do it for five seconds it's too hot to walk your dog. Walk the dog in a grass area, and avoid peak sun hours. Try to walk your pet before 10 a.m. Or after 4 p.m. On the hottest days a quick potty break and play with your pet indoors. Be sure your dog is drinking plenty of water you can add ice cubes.

It's imperative not to have pets outside in the heat. High temperatures inside can be dangerous to pets also. If the temperature inside is too warm for you It's also too warm for your pets.
Do not leave your pets in the car at any given time

​Lift one or two inches lightly on the skin between the dog's shoulder blades if it doesn't return quickly to the original position, your dog is potentially experiencing dehydration.
Another method for testing dehydration is to check your dog's gums first lift your dog's lip and look at the color of the gums. Press the gums with your index finger so that it appears white. Release your finger and watch how quickly the color returns. The gums of a normal dog refill immediately. Gums of dehydrated dogs could take up to three seconds to refill.
Call your veterinarian if your dog shows signs of shock, heat stroke, or severe dehydration. 
Offer your dog small sips of water every few minutes. You can also mix electrolyte replacement powder with the water or pieces of ice to lick. Too much water too quickly could cause the dog to vomit.

​If you notice your pet is scratching themselves, sneezing more than normal, licking their paws, or shedding worse than before, the pet may suffer from seasonal allergies.
Symptoms to look for are Compulsive paw licking in dogs, red inflamed, or infected skin, scratching and biting their coat or skin, dog boot scooting or licking anal glands, chronic ear infections or red, waxy ears, more common in cats respiratory issues, difficulty breathing, coughing, or wheezing.
Talk with your veterinarian about allergy medicine over the counter.

Do not use decongestants or anything that contains pseudoephedrine like Claritin-D which can be lethal to a dog.
Anti-itch sprays or creams. Use only products that are made for pets. Tropical treatments are only a temporary relief.