Fall pet safety

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jose Leon
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Fall is in the air, school is back in session and the leaves are changing colors.

Your pet, too, is probably welcoming the break from hot, sticky weather. While cool weather may be appealing, fall presents unique challenges and potential health risks for pets.

The use of pesticides increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from colder weather. When pets are left to roam freely, they are at risk of exposure to these potentially deadly products.

Pets can also fall victim of issues not commonly associated with animals.

"The fall is also when we see lots of allergies in our pets," said Dr. Erin Hiskett, 22nd Force Support Squadron veterinarian. "They can have many of the same symptoms as people do, like watery eyes and sneezing, but they can also be very itchy. Some pets may need antihistamines to help them get through the allergy season and pet owners should talk with their vet about options if they think their dog or cat is suffering from allergies."

Fall is also often the season when vehicle owners change engine coolant or antifreeze.

According to agway.com, a lawn, garden and pet supplies website, more than 10,000 dogs and cats are accidentally poisoned with automotive antifreeze. Pets are attracted to the sweet taste of ethylene glycol which is lethal to animals in even small doses.

Other fall safety issues include holidays.

Halloween can be a fun time for both the young and old, but can be a dangerous time for pets.

It is recommended to keep pets indoors on Halloween night, especially black cats. Animals can be at risk for cruel treatment by some Halloween pranksters.

Also, fall and spring are mushroom seasons. While most mushrooms have little or no toxicity, some can cause life-threatening problems in pets.

It can be difficult to distinguish the toxic ones from the nontoxic ones, so the best way to keep pets from ingesting poisonous mushrooms is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing.

"For many families pets are a very important member of the household," said Hiskett. "Taking a few precautions can help to prevent an expensive and possibly tragic accident."