The crisp air, the crunch of the leaves under your feet, snuggling with your favorite family members under warm blankets. Is there anything better than fall in New England? Here is where I might surprise you, YES, the summer is better! For me the fall just means the winter is fast approaching, and I hate being cold. But, I won’t dwell on that and I will absolutely enjoy apple picking, cider donuts, hay rides, and carving pumpkins. My dogs love the cooler weather too, lounging on the still cool ground with the sun shining on them. Total peace. But you came here for pet safety, so let’s move on from all of the wonderful fall activities and vibrant colors of autumn and get to the point!
With the fall comes new concerns for our beloved four legged babies. Let’s review a few quick things you should be thinking about this fall to keep your pet’s safety top of mind.
Rodent Poisons and Pet Safety
The cooler weather outside means the creatures who once enjoyed the abundant harvest of nature are now seeking the cozy warmth of your food pantry. You might be tempted to put out some rodent killer and not think about it again. But hold the phone, that poison doesn’t know the difference between your cat and the mouse you’re hoping to kill.
There are actually many reasons to skip the poison altogether
- Secondary poisoning of other creatures. The mouse in your house eats a little poison and meanders back outside to find some dinner. A hawk sees dinner, swoops in and brings that mouse back to his nest. His family, mama and 2 babies, enjoy their last dinner. This happens All.The.Time. This local article tells the all too common story of one father bird that couldn’t be saved after ingesting a poisoned mouse.
- Those rodents don’t always take their death outside. You can’t blame all bad smells on the dog, especially since that smell lasts for a few weeks. Now you have a decaying body in your wall, even after the smell is gone the mold and fungus are still there. My friends over at PC Restoration told me about clients with all kinds of issues that arise after the mice die in the walls. Gross.
- It’s POISON. Do you really want to keep poison in your house?
To be technical, it’s a blood thinner and it slowly kills the animal by causing internal bleeding, that sounds like a horrible way to go. When thinking about your fall pet safety use these tips to handle rodent problems without consequences to your own pets, your neighbors pets, or the wildlife in your area.
Ticks
Spring is when all those tick babies come out of hiding. Do you believe the cold weather is going to kill off the ticks? Then you wouldn’t need to think about them again until next year! Yay! Except, you would be wrong, ticks don’t mind the cold as much as you might think. Don’t feel bad, most everyone thinks that if we aren’t seeing them then they aren’t there. Terminix says this:
Some types of ticks can be active if the temperature is above 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the ground is not wet or icy. The American dog tick and lone star tick are not typically active during the fall and winter months. Blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, remain active as long as the temperature is above freezing.
Unless it’s been below freezing for multiple days in a row, for the safety of you and your pets, stay diligent about tick checks. Of course there are some things you can do, year round, to decrease your tick exposure
Keep your pet’s safety top of mind with these tick deterrents
- Keep your pets on flea and tick prevention year round. This way you never get out of the habit and you know that your pets are always protected. (Heartworm prevention should be given year round also).
- Diatomaceous Earth is a natural way to kill ticks, fleas, lice, mites, roaches, silverfish, weevils, bed bugs, woodlice, ants, snails, and more. I spread it around in my fenced in yard multiple times a year, just the areas in and around where my dogs are frequently. Because it’s harmless to humans and pets, I have no concern putting it out there while my dogs are with me.
- Chickens. Clearly a great choice for tick control, with so many other benefits. Read here about how effective they are (81 ticks in a hour!)
Does your dog need more outside time with friends? They can join a Barks and Rec pack hike, tick checks included! We pick up and drop off from your home!
Pet Id’s and Chip Information
Now is the perfect time to check your pets ID tags. Ensure your contact information is correct and readable, the tag is not damaged, and the ring holding it on to the collar is good to go.
While you are at it, go ahead and sign into your pets microchip company website and ensure your contact information is up to date there also.
While this doesn’t directly impact your pet’s safety, these two things will only take a few minutes of your time. You’ll sleep better knowing your pets can find their way back to you (safely) should the need arise!
What are you doing this fall to ensure your pets safety? Leave a comment, email me, reach out! I’d love to hear from you!
