Top Fall Safety Tips for Your Dog!

 As autumn approaches the leaves turn colors and fall, and the days get shorter for people to enjoy the warm golden sun. For your lively mutts, they are also experiencing the good and maybe not-so-good changes to the environment. With the holidays just around the corner, a lot of dog owners aren't really paying enough attention to their pooches who can get into more trouble than expected.

So here are top Fall safety tips to look out for as the temperature drops and the festive season starts:

1. Increased chemical usage: Around this time of year people tend to increase the usage of insecticides and other harsh chemicals due to the insects and rodents who are seeking warmer shelters in your homes. So be more cautious as to where you spray and store these toxins in the house. 
2. More fleas to go around: Fleas, one of dog owners' most fearing and irritating problems, breed in the Spring time and reach peak number in the Fall. So it is wise to use some form of flea protection by talking to your trusted vet.
3. Much needed body fat: Dogs who live mostly outdoors would need to be fed more food to "beef up" for the Winter to keep their body temperatures warmer. It is also important to make sure to keep fresh, clean water in the dogs' bowls so that the water does not freeze.
4. Extra debris outside: As the natural environment changes outside, be cautious of extra debris like leaves, twigs, and fallen fruits on the street or in the backyard where they can create choking hazards or digestive problems for your mutts if eaten. 
5. Seasonal allergies: Believe it or not, dogs can also suffer from season allergies. This includes excessive sneezing, paw licking, coughing, and/or watery eyes from the extra pollen floating around in the air. For a safe and effective allergy treatment, talk to your trusted vet.
6. Excess food & candy: People tend to have more than enough food and candy around the house as we go from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas. Be careful of your dogs munching on these human treats as some can cause various health issues like weight gain, choking, dental diseases, or other more severe damages like food poisoning from chocolate. 

Keep your mutts happy, healthy and hearty!