Pets and animals

 by: George Crozier

It's Christmas and you have decided to give that special someone a pet puppy as gift. You have done all your homework in selecting the proper breed with the right characteristics and temperament.

You have visited numerous breeders and pet shops and have found just the right puppy. You choose an adorable playful healthy puppy that will make the perfect companion.

Well, it’s not enough to just bring the new family member home.

You need to get your house ready for the new addition. Remember that pups are like babies, wanting to explore all parts of your house.

How do you know your house is safe and ready for your new pet?

Check for these:

1. Clear your house of poisonous items: Have you cleared your house of all poisonous items and taken them out of your pup's reach? If you haven't, now's the time to put away cleaners, laundry detergents, bleach, disinfectants, insecticides, cleaning fluid, fertilizers, mothballs and antifreeze in cabinets or high up on shelves. An adventurous growing pup will be sure to jump high on to your shelves to find out what's there.

2. Uproot all life-threatening plants: Do you have life-threatening plants at home? Apricot pits, spinach and tomato vines are dangerous to your pup. You can ask your vet to identify more such plants that could affect your pet's health and life. An excellent resource on the web is to visit http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm for a detailed listing of poisonous houseplants. If you suspect the pup may have been poisoned with the wrong plant, contact the Animal Poison Control Center 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435).

3. Put away dangerous objects: Are electrical cords and tools hanging and lying around? If there are such dangerous objects lying around, pick them up and put them away.

4. Supervise the puppy: Don't let your pup be unsupervised whether inside or outside the house. Also, remember to keep the pup away from balconies, upper porches and high decks or they may just slip through the openings and fall.

5. Keep our toilet covered: Puppies sometimes like to play in the toilet bowl water. This is harmful for the pup as they may swallow the toilet cleanser.

6. Get sharp objects out of the way: Put away all sharp objects such as sharp twine, sewing needles and pins far away from your puppy's reach. If they swallow these objects, they can harm their mouth and internal organs.

7. Don't tie ribbons round the pup’s neck: They may chew it and this can lead to digestive problems or choke them if the ribbon gets caught in something.

8. For plant nibblers: If the pup tends to nibble on grass, don't worry, this is natural. But if they take this habit forward and nibble on certain other plants, this could affect your pet's health and life.

These simple precautions will help ensure the safety of your new puppy as you welcome your new family member into your home.

Other helpful information can be found at http://www.chowchowinfo.com