It seems like yesterday when spring was here and the excitement of summer and school break was stretched out ahead of us. Well, in a blink of an eye the days are shorter, nights are cooler and the kids are boarding the bus to head back to school.
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Many households have pets that patiently sit by the door awaiting the arrival of their adored family member.
Each fall, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) sees an increase in back-to-school-related pet poisonings. One of the most common issues involves dogs getting into kids’ backpacks and lunchboxes. Fortunately, most of these exposures are fairly easy to prevent if pet parents know what to watch out for.
Here are a few safety tips from APCC experts for this back-to-school season:
Backpacks. After a long school day, many kids dump their backpacks on the floor when they arrive at home. If possible, designate an area in your home for backpacks out of reach of your pets.
Some dogs are very good at unzipping backpacks and helping themselves to the contents inside. If you have young kids who aren’t able to reliably place their backpacks in a secure area, or if you have very crafty pets, the next best thing is to be very careful about what is packed in your child’s backpack.
Common backpack contents like sugarfree gum (with xylitol), raisins and medications should never be accessible to pets. The APCC commonly receives calls related to ADHD medications (which often contain amphetamines), albuterol inhalers and over the counter pain medications—all of which can cause serious and life-threatening toxicity in dogs and cats.
Lunchboxes. Kids often leave leftover food in their lunchboxes. APCC has received reports of pets becoming very ill after getting into lunchboxes containing toxic foods such as grapes, raisins, onions, macadamia nuts and, occasionally, moldy foods.
The best plan is to speak to your children about the dangers that may harm your beloved pet and to have them understand the importance of taking care of their lunchboxes and backpacks when arriving home. If you suspect your pet has eaten any dangerous contents, please note the amount ingested and contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
If you are looking for a new family pet, please stop by the Central Aroostook Humane Society at 26 Cross Street, Presque Isle. Our hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing for lunch from 12 to 12:30. You can check us out on Facebook and petfinders.com.
Please be responsible pet owners: spay and neuter.
Gloria J. Towle is the secretary and a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
