Top Tips for Pet Safety Year Round!
Year-round and especially at the holidays, make sure your pet is wearing a current Clark County Pet License on its collar. Clark County Animal Care uses the Pet License to reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners. If your pet is lost, it is 10 times more likely to be returned to you if it is wearing a license. A Pet License is the cheapest form of pet insurance you can buy, and it’s required for all cats and dogs age four months or older.
Summer Safety
When the temperatures outside are extreme, keep your pet inside the house as much as possible, preferably with the air conditioning or fans running.
Watch for signs of heatstroke in your pet. These include excessive panting, glassy stare, dizziness, vomiting or collapse. If your pet shows the symptoms of heatstroke, move it into the shade and reduce its temperature by either soaking it with cold water or placing it in an ice bath. If your pet is conscious, give it a small amount of water or allow it to lick ice cubes. Then, bring your pet to a veterinarian immediately. But don't move the animal until you reduce its temperature.
Keep the grass cut short to reduce the chances of ear mite and tick infestations, which are more common in the summer.
Remove fecal matter from the yard as soon as possible. The feces will attract flies which will bite your pet, most commonly in the ears.
Remove leaf piles because the moist, cool leaves will attract bufo, or marine, toads. Bufo toads excrete a toxin that can be fatal to dogs and can cause irritation to humans. Dogs exposed to the toxin will foam at the mouth. If your dog comes in contact with a bufo toad, wash its mouth out with water from side to side. Then immediately seek emergency veterinary treatment.
Keep your pet safely away from hot grills, charcoal and lighter fluid.
Sunscreen, insect repellant and citronella candles and oil can be harmful to your pet.
If you keep a pet outdoors, provide plenty of clean water and adequate shelter to protect the animal from the sun or rain.
If you provide a structure for shelter, make sure it is grounded in case lightning strikes it.
Never leave your pet in a parked car – not even for a few minutes. When temperatures outside are 85 degrees, the temperature in your car, even with the windows open, can reach 102 degrees in just 10 minutes. Your pet could suffer heat stroke. In just 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet could suffer brain damage or die. With the windows closed, the temperature can reach 160 degrees.
For more information, call your veterinarian. To report an animal in distress, call your local police agency or Animal Care Dispatch.
July 4 Safety
Bombs bursting in air on the Fourth of July may make you feel patriotic, but your pet may be frightened and try to escape from your yard. The days after July 4 are some of the busiest days of the year for Clark County Animal Care. We receive many phone calls for lost pets, and Animal Care Officers rescue a high number of stray animals. If you follow these safety tips for July 4, you greatly reduce the chances of losing your pet.
Don't take dogs to places where there may be fireworks.
If you plan to be away from home on the holiday, bring your pet inside the house and leave it in a quiet, protected room. Animals left outside in the yard may not only attempt to escape, they may also fall prey to possible abuse by misguided individuals.
If you are at home with a scared dog, don't reinforce its behavior by offering sympathy. Instead, divert its attention by practicing an obedience routine or playing a game.
Leave a scared cat alone. Don't try to force a feline from its hiding place. The cat will come out when it feels safe.
Halloween Safety
The best way to keep pets safe is to keep them inside the home, and not outside in the yard.
If you take your pet trick-or-treating, use a short leash to keep it from fighting with other animals or biting strangers. Groups of small ghouls and goblins can scare pets, prompting them to try to break the leash and escape. A pet running loose may fall victim to possible abuse by misguided individuals.
Inside, confine pets away from the front door in a separate room to prevent Fido or Fluffy from stepping outside when you are at the door.
Pets, especially dogs, are easily excitable or threatened by strangers. Confining dogs will also reduce the chances of them biting strangers.
Don’t share candy with your pet, especially chocolate. Candy is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances and even death. Tell other family members, especially children, not to share their candy with the family pet. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate or other candy that causes discomfort, consult your veterinarian immediately.
Take extra precautions if you own a black cat by confining it in your house several days before Halloween. This will reduce the chances of someone abducting your black cat. Mythology about black cats and witches can lead people to do strange things to them. Even children who mean no harm may yell at or chase a black cat, scaring the cat much more than the cat scares them.
Finally, while your companion animal may look cute in a costume, be wary of pet costumes that use rubber bands to hold them in place. If you mistakenly leave rubber bands on your pet after the costume comes off, they can quickly burrow into the animal's skin.
Thanksgiving Holiday Safety
Keep your pet on its regular feeding schedule. Whatever time you normally feed your pet, stay with that routine.
Feed your pet its regular food. Giving pets Thanksgiving scraps can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
Do not feed your pet any part of the turkey. While people may think that turkey is safe, often the seasoning from the turkey drippings, along with the skin and gravy can cause pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas.
Do not give your pet bones! Turkey bones are particularly dangerous since they can splinter and cause intestinal damage.
Secure the garbage pail! Table scraps, food wrappings, bones and other items can be tempting to your pet. Even simple items like aluminum foil and the string from the turkey can be consumed since your pet will smell the food and seasonings on such items. Be sure that all trash containers, both inside the house and outside, are securely closed so that animals cannot tear through the garbage for a private Thanksgiving feast.
Keep your pet in another room during dinnertime, so that they cannot sit and beg at the table. In addition, guests will not be tempted to give them any food.
Year-round and especially at the holidays, make sure your pet is wearing a current Clark County Pet License on its collar. Clark County Animal Care uses the Pet License to reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners. If your pet is lost, it is 10 times more likely to be returned to you if it is wearing a license. A Pet License is the cheapest form of pet insurance you can buy, and it’s required for all cats and dogs age four months or older.
Summer Safety
When the temperatures outside are extreme, keep your pet inside the house as much as possible, preferably with the air conditioning or fans running.
Watch for signs of heatstroke in your pet. These include excessive panting, glassy stare, dizziness, vomiting or collapse. If your pet shows the symptoms of heatstroke, move it into the shade and reduce its temperature by either soaking it with cold water or placing it in an ice bath. If your pet is conscious, give it a small amount of water or allow it to lick ice cubes. Then, bring your pet to a veterinarian immediately. But don't move the animal until you reduce its temperature.
Keep the grass cut short to reduce the chances of ear mite and tick infestations, which are more common in the summer.
Remove fecal matter from the yard as soon as possible. The feces will attract flies which will bite your pet, most commonly in the ears.
Remove leaf piles because the moist, cool leaves will attract bufo, or marine, toads. Bufo toads excrete a toxin that can be fatal to dogs and can cause irritation to humans. Dogs exposed to the toxin will foam at the mouth. If your dog comes in contact with a bufo toad, wash its mouth out with water from side to side. Then immediately seek emergency veterinary treatment.
Keep your pet safely away from hot grills, charcoal and lighter fluid.
Sunscreen, insect repellant and citronella candles and oil can be harmful to your pet.
If you keep a pet outdoors, provide plenty of clean water and adequate shelter to protect the animal from the sun or rain.
If you provide a structure for shelter, make sure it is grounded in case lightning strikes it.
Never leave your pet in a parked car – not even for a few minutes. When temperatures outside are 85 degrees, the temperature in your car, even with the windows open, can reach 102 degrees in just 10 minutes. Your pet could suffer heat stroke. In just 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet could suffer brain damage or die. With the windows closed, the temperature can reach 160 degrees.
For more information, call your veterinarian. To report an animal in distress, call your local police agency or Animal Care Dispatch.
July 4 Safety
Bombs bursting in air on the Fourth of July may make you feel patriotic, but your pet may be frightened and try to escape from your yard. The days after July 4 are some of the busiest days of the year for Clark County Animal Care. We receive many phone calls for lost pets, and Animal Care Officers rescue a high number of stray animals. If you follow these safety tips for July 4, you greatly reduce the chances of losing your pet.
Don't take dogs to places where there may be fireworks.
If you plan to be away from home on the holiday, bring your pet inside the house and leave it in a quiet, protected room. Animals left outside in the yard may not only attempt to escape, they may also fall prey to possible abuse by misguided individuals.
If you are at home with a scared dog, don't reinforce its behavior by offering sympathy. Instead, divert its attention by practicing an obedience routine or playing a game.
Leave a scared cat alone. Don't try to force a feline from its hiding place. The cat will come out when it feels safe.
Halloween Safety
The best way to keep pets safe is to keep them inside the home, and not outside in the yard.
If you take your pet trick-or-treating, use a short leash to keep it from fighting with other animals or biting strangers. Groups of small ghouls and goblins can scare pets, prompting them to try to break the leash and escape. A pet running loose may fall victim to possible abuse by misguided individuals.
Inside, confine pets away from the front door in a separate room to prevent Fido or Fluffy from stepping outside when you are at the door.
Pets, especially dogs, are easily excitable or threatened by strangers. Confining dogs will also reduce the chances of them biting strangers.
Don’t share candy with your pet, especially chocolate. Candy is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances and even death. Tell other family members, especially children, not to share their candy with the family pet. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate or other candy that causes discomfort, consult your veterinarian immediately.
Take extra precautions if you own a black cat by confining it in your house several days before Halloween. This will reduce the chances of someone abducting your black cat. Mythology about black cats and witches can lead people to do strange things to them. Even children who mean no harm may yell at or chase a black cat, scaring the cat much more than the cat scares them.
Finally, while your companion animal may look cute in a costume, be wary of pet costumes that use rubber bands to hold them in place. If you mistakenly leave rubber bands on your pet after the costume comes off, they can quickly burrow into the animal's skin.
Thanksgiving Holiday Safety
Keep your pet on its regular feeding schedule. Whatever time you normally feed your pet, stay with that routine.
Feed your pet its regular food. Giving pets Thanksgiving scraps can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
Do not feed your pet any part of the turkey. While people may think that turkey is safe, often the seasoning from the turkey drippings, along with the skin and gravy can cause pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas.
Do not give your pet bones! Turkey bones are particularly dangerous since they can splinter and cause intestinal damage.
Secure the garbage pail! Table scraps, food wrappings, bones and other items can be tempting to your pet. Even simple items like aluminum foil and the string from the turkey can be consumed since your pet will smell the food and seasonings on such items. Be sure that all trash containers, both inside the house and outside, are securely closed so that animals cannot tear through the garbage for a private Thanksgiving feast.
Keep your pet in another room during dinnertime, so that they cannot sit and beg at the table. In addition, guests will not be tempted to give them any food.
