 Continued
--Large Birds--
Although very uncommon, we have heard of at least two cases where small puppies or dogs were carried away by predatory birds. We recently placed a Yorkie puppy in a home where the previous dog was lost due to a hawk carrying it off. This is something to watch out for with your small animals.
--Alligators--
Although not a problem in the north, it is not unusual to hear of an alligator coming into a yard and pulling a dog into the water. I am personally aware of this happening a half a dozen times when we lived in Florida. A good friend of mine was sitting in his condominium having breakfast with his wife and they had a poodle on a yard screw in their back yard. They heard the dog yipe and looked up just in time to see a 6-7 foot gator drag their pet into the water. A barking dog is known to be one of the best ways to attract alligators.
-- Pesticides --
Make sure your pets do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until the time listed on the label by the manufacturer. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, contact the manufacturer for clarification before using it. Always store pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. The most serious problems resulting from fertilizer ingestion in pets is usually due to the presence of heavy metals such as iron. Ingestion of large amounts of fertilizer could cause severe gastric upset and possibly gastrointestinal obstruction.
The most dangerous forms of pesticides include: snail bait containing metaldehyde, fly bait containing methomyl, systemic insecticides containing disyston or disulfaton, zinc phosphide containing mole or gopher bait and most forms of rat poisons. When using pesticides place the products in areas that are totally inaccessible to your companion animals. Always store pesticides in secured areas. |