Dogs love to get up to mischief. Most of the time it's good healthy fun, but you do need to be aware of their safety - including having a fenced, dog friendly backyard, travelling safely on car journeys, to making sure they're not eating things around the home and garden that might be poisonous to them.
Around the home
- Ensure all household chemicals are stored in a safe place and out of reach from dogs.
- Prevent your dog from scavenging food and items from your household bin and make sure you safely dispose of medicines, chemicals and food so your dog can't get to them.
- Foods that are toxic to dogs include onions and garlic – these can be hidden in our own meals, so avoid giving your dog leftover food, no matter how much they may beg for it.
- We love it, but chocolate contains theobromine and this is dangerous to dogs. Cocoa powder, dark chocolate and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms, but even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell. See your vet if your dog does manage to feast on some chocolate!
- In the backyard, make sure insecticides and fertiliser containers are sealed, stored out of your dog's reach and are used strictly according to the manufacturer's directions. Dogs love 'blood and bone', even if it smells terrible to us, so keep them away from fertilisers to protect them from getting ill.
- As dogs often like to chew plants, make sure you avoid plants known to be toxic – some examples include crocuses, cycads, azaleas, tulips, daffodils.
Contact your vet immediately if you think your pet may have ingested a poisonous plant, chemical or food.
The First Aid app for your pets includes over 130 essential first aid articles for pet owners. This app was created to ensure you are better prepared to recognise an emergency situation and can act quickly with effective first aid during the critical minutes before you get to a veterinary clinic.
Search for First Aid for Pets Australia in your App Store or Google Play
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