All A Twitter On Keeping Our Pets Safe!

As you may or may not know, at 8PM EDT every Monday night on Twitter, pets and their humans get together on #PETCHAT to chat/bark/meow/chirp/chitter/squeak/quack about the topic du jour. #PETCHAT was jumpin’ with lively banter about Monday night’s topic – Keeping Our Pets Safe. Fabulous comments and suggestions were made along with a lot of LOL chat. The night just flew by. Hm-m-m, maybe I can get everyone from #PETCHAT to join me in doing my taxes so that will fly by too. But I digress.

Here’s the TwiffNotes from last night’s #PETCHAT:

@KimHalligan1: I worry about everything. LOL! This time of year it’s all about chemicals people put on their lawns. Me too. When it comes to keeping our pups safe I’m a pro at worrying. What’s up with all the little flags on lawns warning of chemicals? Horrible for pets, people & the planet!

@FrugalDougal: Staff found out that some nasty lawn chemicals can be the cause of pet bladder problems so pls do not use or let your pet near them. I believe it! See below . . .

@DianeNeff: My dog liked the streets near the golf course – run off resulted from her poisoning without ever touching treated grass. Oh my – that so very sad . . .

@FrugalDougal: Ohh that is so bad mai pal. It is a good point to not let doggies lick standing water anywhere. Our friend across the pond is so right.

Speaking/barking about golf, Hurley @JustAnotherTrnd is also watching out for humans yelling FORE!

@PianoWeatherman: Antifreeze is also a big danger in the city. Always in the gutters. @Surfpet lost two cats to people being careless with antifreeze. How can some humans be so dumb.

@MonkeyTraining: Antifreeze antidote is a bottle of vodka, drunk pet, liver metabolizing vodka instead of antifreeze. What? But hey, if it works . . .

@Rochelle: And keep small dogs away from big storm drains. I caught one before it fell in . . . You are my hero! And even grates can break a dog’s legs. We always walk our little pups around a grate. Never across.

@tacrabtree: Beware of foam toys. My daughter’s lab chewed it up & a piece was too hard to pass thru so had to have surgery to remove it. Yikes! Toys are supposed to be fun. I now only choose toys that have minimal color, parts and must be durable. Try organic if you can.

@MonkeyTraining: Batteries have a double whammy, choking due to size and chemical burn where they stick or pass. Recycle them properly. Wow, never thought about the double trouble with batteries. Good tip!

@tacrabtree: Rawhide chews need to be supervised too. Any treats can choke. Absolutely! Plus, be careful of salmonella with rawhide chews. I parboil flossies for 10 seconds and let them cool down before giving to Schmitty & Pudge. And only when supervised, of course.

@JustAnotherTrnd: I’ve had patients get confused and mix up their meds & the pets. Giving a little dog your digoxin is RX for disaster. So true! Even when visiting my 88 year old Mom (don’t tell her I told you her age!) I always do a quick “discreet” spilled- pill check before letting the pups in her house. Never take any chances.

@JustOneMorePet: RT @ SurfPet How many people actually secure their dogs in the car? This #PETCHAT tweet certainly sparked controversy. To seat belt or not to seat belt? That is the question. Read on . . .

@LethemKnow: Personally I think that securing dogs in a car is a bad idea. Interesting.

@Surfpet: You buckle up your kids, how about your dogs? There are lots of different options, harness, booster seats, crates, etc. All good points. I heard that in a car crash, a pet is more likely to die not from the crash, but from getting loose and being hit by traffic. This is a “ruff” one. Love to hear your thoughts (Comment below).

@PetieTheCat: Yes, please stay away from raccoons, I almost got eaten by one last year and the year before. Wild animals are great at parties, but not when it comes to your pet. I just saw an enormous fox in my folk’s backyard in very suburbia RI. Constant outdoor supervision with a leash is a must to protect our pets big and small. (Let me clarify – a leash does not mean tying one’s dog up. Horrors. A leash is a must to take your pet for a safe, supervised walk – esp. here in NYC).

@HaveYouHerd: It’s great to have forceps, crazy glue, antihistamine, styptic pencil, water, scissors, a sterile needle, usp alcoholic & know uses. There you have it. All the money we spend on Healthcare. Go figure.

@Pianoweatherman: Gotta go find forceps, varied diets, golf ball dissolvers, hook debarbers, antifreeze antidote, safe fertilizer, car restraints . . . A wiseguy sums it up. LOL!

@JustAnotherTrnd: Is that a pet safety list or are you on a Scavenger Hunt? Good one!

@DebsSweet: Good Night and sweetest of dreams to the sweetest of people/pets! I couldn’t have said it better.

That’s the TwiffNotes for this week’s #PETCHAT. If you weren’t mentioned this week it’s not that I don’t love ya. It’s just that nature called and I had to take Schmitty & Pudge for a much needed walk. Do come back next week and bring all your friends. Maybe together we can help make a difference in the lives of pets. *Singing “We Are The World” and swaying to & fro*

Let’s Keep Our Pets Safe,

Elly @Petchat