How to Prepare Your Dog for Fall
The following are a few tips on how to prepare your dog for fall:
End of Summer Grooming
At the end of every summer, it’s always a good idea to give your dog a full checkup and bath. Along with doing this, it gives you a chance to apply flea and tick prevention medication.
When climates change from hot to cold your dog can sometimes get itch spots or allergic reactions, finding and treating these itchy spots along with clipping their nails should help with keeping him or her comfortable.
End of Season Inventory Check
Make sure to examine all of the stuff you regularly use with your pet such as the following:
- leashes
- collars
- fences
- dog beds
- food and water bowls
- anything else you feel you will be using regularly this fall
The last thing you want to be doing is chasing your pet through the freezing weather, only to have it happen again and again because your fence has a hole in it.
Additionally, make sure your pets bed is washed. If your pet stays outside a lot, make sure he or she has warm place to stay, preferably inside a shelter such as your garage or dog house. Along with washing your pet’s bed, treat it for ticks and the such so they do not get on him and give you even more problems to worry about.
Keep your dog well stocked on plenty of food and water to keep his energy up, even if it is cold you should be outside with him at least twice a week to give him plenty of exercise.
Coat Cleanup
Every winter our dogs grow a much thicker coat than the one they wear during the summer. While this is healthy and normal for a dog, if they are inside often, their body will keep trying to shed the coat all winter. This is because it’s warmer inside than what their coat was initially grown for. Because of all this shedding you will find dog hair in places you didn’t even know existed. This can be a problem, especially for those who have allergies.
Make sure to vacuum your house regularly to avoid your pet’s hair will building up. Even if you do vacuum regularly, dog hair is very harsh on vacuum cleaners, I know I’ve gone through at least 3 in the past 6 years because of this. However certain brands make vacuum cleaners designed for your pet and all of his pesky hair that he leaves everywhere, this could be more expensive than usual but it will keep your wallet fat in the long run.
Halloween
Halloween is one of the many things people enjoy about the fall. Your dog might even love barking at total strangers at night when children walk up to get candy from you. Therefore, it is ideal to keep your dog inside and away from children.
In addition, people often forget that chocolates are toxic to your pet and contain Theobromine and caffeine. Both of these chemicals raise the heart rate of your pet, very rarely does it cause a seizure but it is definitely possible. Keep your candy in an out of reach place and make sure that you do not drop any. You might consider sweeping around your front lawn in the morning to pick up candy that shouldn’t be there.
Thanksgiving
Sharing your food with your pet is probably something very tempting to do. However, most of these foods at our dinner tables are detrimental to your pet’s health. Avoid giving your dogs sweet or fatty foods, most of these can cause your dog diarrhea.
Also, do not give your pet poultry bones such as turkey or chicken. These bones can shatter and get stuck in the back of your dogs throat or stomach. Garlic and onions also cause anemia in pets. Lean cooked meats without bones, are much better for your animals. Just leave out the gravy and what not, and you’ve got one happy pet.
Back to School
If you have kids, or are attending school yourself, there is bound to be school supplies laying around somewhere. Keep this kind of stuff out of reach from your pet because all most all school supply objects are a choking hazard. Pencils can splinter and give your dog a very bad day, and pencil sharpeners have a blade in them. So it is best to keep items like these out of the way.
We here at All Pets Veterinary Medical Center wish you a happy coming fall, and hope your pets are just as safe as you are. For more information on how to prepare your dog for fall, or to schedule an appointment with your vet, contact us with the link below!
