Pet safety in the home

Suzhy Winifield RVN and Julie Howard of VetSavers offer advice on hazards around the house

We love our pets and their quirky, inquisitive natures. These same qualities can often get them into trouble, however – especially if they’re a new puppy or kitten you’re introducing into your home. So here are a few safety pointers for you to consider:

• Fit child locks on low level cupboards that house cleaning products.
• Try and hide or cover electrical cables – thick covers can be bought from most DIY shops. Where possible we suggest running them under carpets.
• Consider using baby gates to make stairs safe. A puppy will manage to get upstairs quite easily but coming down can prove a bit trickier – we don’t want to see puppies with broken limbs and this is more than possible if they tumble down a flight of stairs.
• Lit candles, open fires and wood burners are obviously a potential hazard to any animal. However a puppy or kitten would not realise this until they were perhaps too close to the flame! Don’t leave candles burning with unsupervised pets and use a fireguard if you have a fireplace that is used.
• As daft as this may sound, washing machines and tumble driers are also hazards. Puppies will often look for a nice dark warm place to settle down. We often hear of these two household appliances being the ideal place, so ensure the doors are kept closed once you have finished using them.
• Ensure non-chemical poisons are removed or out of reach. Food such as chocolate and grapes are toxic to dogs for example, whereas daffodils, lilies, mistletoe and poinsettia are toxic to cats.

Here’s a scenario for you. You are busy doing a little sewing – perhaps name labels for your children’s new school uniform – and the doorbell rings. You put down the sewing and before you know it an hour has passed whilst chatting with the caller. In the meantime, the kitten or puppy has found your sewing box full of fun. There are cotton reels just right for throwing in the air and chewing – and let’s not forget the needles and pins. We see many a case where a dog or cat has had to undergo surgery to remove a needle, pin, fishing hook etc from its throat. The surgery can be invasive and is painful, so just that extra second to put the sharp items away can save a traumatic visit to the vets.

There are many potential hazards around your home for a new puppy or kitten, because everything is a potential game to them. So make sure the surroundings are safe before bringing your puppy home to avoid any accidents.

VetSavers Cardea Unit 2 Bellona Drive Cardea Peterborough PE2 8GP Tel: 01733 889 236
VetSavers Hampton Dobbies Garden Centre Cygnet Park Hampton Peterborough PE7 8NY Tel: 07707 994966 Emergencies only: 01733 562904