Puppy Safety

Folks get a new puppy, and usually do everything they can to keep them healthy and happy, but there are still a few things that happen that could be avoided.

Take a moment to review this document and see if you might overlook any of the following:

* Pups will eat cigarette butts, with fatal or near fatal results. The best solution is to quit smoking. (Always gets a laugh). The next best is to keep ashtrays well out fof reach by curious pups.

* Pups will chew electrical cords. Shocks from this can be fatal or severely debilitating. Sometimes you don't even know what happened until the Vet shows you the burns across the tongue and gums.

* Pups will chew up Christmas balls. The thin glass hardly hurts at all, but is disastrous in the mouth and digestive tract. Pups may jump on other ornaments, and receive bad cuts in the foot pads and mouth.

* Pups are attracted to flickering candles. Curiosity (and a house-fire) results in a "Christmas in the snow" for you and your puppy. Keep open flames well out of reach.

* A medicine bottle may be child-proof, but not puppy-proof. Given a few minutes of chewing, the pup will be into most medications, with potentially fatal results.

* Puppies may lap out of the toilet. Toilet bowl cleaners may cause burns in the mouth and digestive tract. Take care to leave lids down.

* You'd think pups would know better than to jump out a window in a car or house, but unfortunately, no. They'll jump if they get excited enough.

* Pups don't get complete immunity from their first immunization. Usually the second immunization confers the start of real circulating immunity, but I recommend you avoid alot of socialization with other pups until 16 weeks of age, when their immunity is peaking.

* Turkey and Chicken bones may go down without incident, but they may not. Most veterinarians have at one time or another removed a sharp poultry bone from the mouth or tract of a curious puppy or dog. Just don't risk it.

* Puppies like to eat sewing needles and pins. The thread on the needles actually does more damage than the needle itself. You can avoid any trouble just by knowing that this strange attraction exists.

* Canines will lap up anti-freeze as though it were a treat. It's sweet to the taste, and has an attractive scent. Survival rates are poor, even with swift treatment.

* Recalling that pups like to chew, please re-consider using baits and pesticide strips where the pup might eventually discover them.

* Read labels on any shampoo or dip you intend to use on your new companion. Some can be too much for pups, and only by reading the label will you know this.

* It's not true that all plants are toxic to pups, but it seems like it sometimes. Most plants cause drooling and sometimes vomiting in pups that chew them. Others like Lantana, Japanese Yew, Lily of the Valley, Nightshade, Oleander, and Castor Bean have more severe penalties for oral ingestion.