There’s nothing better than enjoying a walk with your dog or watching your cat explore your garden.
As with all the seasons, autumn brings its own joys – but it comes with dangers too, which it’s always best to be aware of.
Here we run through some of the things you need to make sure your pets aren’t eating this autumn. Good luck stopping them!
What your pet should not be eating
- Any parents will know that children love to play with conkers – but so do dogs! While this may seem fun, we need to prevent our dogs from eating conkers, as this can lead to them suffering from blockages in their intestines. Symptoms of this include excessive vomiting and chronic diarrhoea, as well as your pet seeming out of sorts and in distress.
- Fallen leaves can be a lot of fun for our pets. However, leaves that have been sat static for a long time can become a breeding ground for mould. Playing in leaves shouldn’t be a problem, but if your dog is prone to eating leaves you may find that they have an upset tummy.
- As for humans, some mushrooms can be highly toxic for our pets. A good rule of thumb here is to not let your pets eat anything you wouldn’t eat – and if you’re not an expert forager, we’d recommend you avoid eating mushrooms unless you’ve bought them from a supermarket!
- At this time of year mice and rats are looking for somewhere warm to winter and may find their way into homes and outbuildings. People may decide to put down poison, but it is crucial that we do everything we can to limit the chances of our pets accessing it. The poison now commonly used can have a delayed reaction, so you may not know your pet has ingested anything until days or weeks afterwards. Signs can include vomiting and diarrhoea, and it can lead to serious or even fatal illness. If you suspect your pet has ingested poison it can help us if you can take a photograph of the source, to help us to ID the issue.
- You may be stocking up on antifreeze ready for the first frosts of the year. If ingested by our pets, even a very small quantity can be toxic, especially for cats, and causes kidney failure. So please do be careful when storing this.
If you suspect your pet is feeling unwell after eating something they shouldn’t, we recommend you bring them in to see us immediately. If you have any questions, please contact our team on PetsApp.
