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This post was written by: Gailstrail
My greatest fear when hiking with Pieper or any K-9 off lead is that they may eat something that will harm them. Luckily most of my hikes are in the woods and there are less lethal things to get into. However, K-9s always have there noses to the ground searching for something to eat. That’s the negative thing about letting your K-9 friend off lead. I keep my eyes on her as much as possible and she never really goes too far without checking back with me. This morning I noticed her nosing around a bush and she came out with something in her mouth. I immediately said ‘leave it’, went to her and grabbed her nose; wrapping my hand around the top and pressed gently on her gum toward her teeth and told her to ‘drop’ whatever it was. She complies and we continued on.
How Can She Do It?
Pieper also likes to tear the skin off of tennis balls. Yuck! I’m always afraid she is going to eat the skin. I watch her sleep and wonder if she ate something that was bad for her, and in a coma! Then I have to go wake her and make sure she is alert and responsive.
Then there are the ‘fuzzy and squeaky’ toys; she loves to kill them and get to the ’squeaky’. I’ve almost stopped giving her these type of toys for fear she will swallow the plastic squeaky.
Preventative Measures
Providing your furry friend with safe toys is one good preventative measure; puppy proofing your house is another and crucial to keeping your puppy safe. The holiday season adds some lethal temptations to your K-9; holiday poinsettias are poisonous and decorations can be swallowed; keep those sparkly delights and poinsettias out of their reach. Also, keep unshelled nuts and candy out of your k-9’s reach.
Safe Toys
Safe toys are dependent on the size of your dog and their environment. Almost all dogs love to chase, capture and retrieve. Balls and Frisbees are great for this kind of play; just make sure the ball is the correct size for your K-9… you don’t want your friend to swallow it. Squeaky toys really bring out their hunting instincts; however, be careful, if the squeaky is small inside the toy, your K-9 may dig it out and eat it. Hard rubber toys are great for exercising their jaws…some hold treats that come out during play.
Rawhide Chews
Rawhide chews are popular. However they can be dangerous. I usually get a large one for Pieper; but only let her chew about half of it before I take it away. Rawhide expands when wet, so I don’t want there to be more in her tummy than can get through her system.
Puppy Proofing Your Home
Puppy proofing your house before you bring a new puppy home is a must! Puppies are like babies; but more active. They can get into every nick and corner of your house. You can not let them run wild…they will destroy wiring, shoes, socks and anything that is loose on the floor. It’s important that they have a safe place to play; provide a crate or play pen; some fuzzy, squeaky toys; delicious chews; balls and rope pulls. Make sure all poisonous cleaning and gardening products are stored up high and out of reach; that all office supplies like tacks, paper clips and staples are off the floor. Many plants can be poisonous, keep them up and out of reach. Keep the toilet seat down…there could be cleaning residue left…and it’s lethal to your new puppy, plus it’s a difficult habit to break.
Overview
If you think your pet has been poisoned
Contact your veterinarian or one of the Animal Poison Hot-lines (listed below) if you think your pet may have accidentally received or been given an overdose of the medication.
ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center
1-900-443-0000 ($55.00 per case) The charge is billed directly to caller’s phone.
1-888-426-4435 ($55.00 per case) billed to caller’s credit card only.
Follow-up calls can be made for no additional charge by dialing 888-299-2973.
There is no charge when the call involves a product covered by the Animal Product
Safety Service.
**Animal Poison Hot-line – a joint service provided by North Shore Animal League
America (NSAL) and PROSAR International Animal Poison Center (IAPC).
1-888-232-8870 ($35.00 per incident). The charge is billed to caller’s credit card only.
Staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
Happy and Safe Trails!
4 comments ↓
Don’t forget that nasty scratch when the top layers of skin have been scraped but under the skin is not disturbed can be treated at home.
Most superficial scrapes or wounds no larger than an inch or two in area can be treated with first aid. Larger or deeper abrasions probably require professional medical attention.
To treat minor abrasions be sure your hands are clean then gently clip the fur away from the wound. Fur in a healing wound can lead to contamination and delayed healing.
Use Calendula tea to flush the wound and remove dirt and debris from the area, and then apply Calendula cream. If the dog licks it, so much the better, it will be internalised…good natural healing!
Thanks for the tip on treating minor abrasions. I have Calendula salve. I try not to squeeze Pieper’s gums to her teeth hard enough to injure…I know that’s a very sensitive area. However, I’d rather treat a gum injury that potential poison or intestinal problems.
Thanks again.
Sounds like a lot of god advice. We are cat people but
have a lot of dogs in the family.
John, thanks again for taking the time to read my post.
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