Caissie Canine Instruction: 5 Fall season Hazards You Would NOT Expect For Your K9

We begin this week’s “RUFF TAILS” featuring a beautiful 3-year-old Husky-Lab mix named Naina.

Naina keeps us on our toes all week!! Every other day, a kind neighbour would knock on our door to let us know that she was spotted outside their house-or sometimes, waiting right at our front door!!!!

We were puzzled about how she kept slipping away. After a week of detective work, we finally discovered her secret: Naina had cleverly dug a little passage under the backyard door. Mystery solved….but our mischievous escape artist won this round!!!

Welcome to Doggie Dialogue

Five fall hazards or hidden dangers for your K9 can be the following:

1.    Poisonous plants: Many plants, such as chrysanthemums and autumn crocus are toxic to dogs. Wild mushrooms are highly poisonous and can cause severe illness or death, if ingested. It is best to prevent your K9 from sniffing them altogether. Acorns contain tannins, which can upset your K9’s digestive tract, if ingested as well.

2.    Hidden Dangers in Leaf Piles: The dangers in a leaf pile can range from sharp objects, parasites, mold and bacteria. Leaf piles can be a breeding ground for fleas and ticks when still active in the fall.

3.    Increased Wildlife Encounters: As snakes and small rodents prepare for hibernation, they can be more active and increase the risk of bites to curious pets. Coyotes are most active at this time of the year as well.

4.    Human Foods Can Be Toxic: Xylitol/Birch Sugar, this artificial sweetener, can be found in many candies and some baked goods, which is extremely poisonous to dogs.

5.    Antifreeze: It tastes sweet, therefore making it attractive to dogs, but ingesting even a small amount can be fatal to its high toxicity.

We recommend, when taking your K9 out for their daily walk, to walk at a brisk pace, not allowing your K9 to stop and sniff too often.

This will assist you at preventing your dog from getting into any debris. After Halloween, there maybe dropped chocolates and candies on the ground, therefore you want to be mindful of this as well.