Safe Housekeeping for Pet Owners

Here we offer a few tips and suggestions for your pet’s health and safety in relation to housekeeping practices.

• Baking soda
  Baking soda is useful for cleaning everything from teeth to ovens. Sprinkled in cat litter boxes and the corners of small animal cages, it can help reduce odor and bacteria. Use it to absorb wet messes such as urine and vomit, then sweep it into a dustpan. If you pet has kidney disease or conditions affected by sodium, avoid situations where he may ingest significant amounts (the fishy taste may attract him) or lick the baking soda from his paws.
• Choosing the location of your trash can
  If your pet scrounges or tips your kitchen trash, it is not only unpleasant for you but potentially dangerous for your pet. He can get sick from spoiled food, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, twist ties, and things you would never have thought of. Keep trash cans under the sink, in a small bucket on the counter, or hanging from the wall.
• Carpet Cleaners
  We have used Heavy Traffic Woolite carpet foam for years with great results. It is convenient for spot cleaning and can handle big dog diarrhea. Simply remove solid waste, spray a generous dose of Woolite on the area, work it in with a sponge mop, let dry, and vacuum. A few repetitions may be necessary in bad cases. A steam cleaner is also good for cleaning entire rooms. You can buy formulas especially for pet stains. Go over problem spots repeatedly from several directions. As with all chemicals, keep pets away from area until fully dry.
• Caution with bleach
  Bleach comes with a warning against mixing with products containing ammonia as the combination produces a toxic gas. Be aware that ammonia is also present in urine and cat urine is especially concentrated. If your pet has a good sized puddle accident, choose another cleaner or you may suffer stinging eyes, coughing, or worse.
• Keep dogs away from cat litter boxes
  Eating poo (coprophagia) is a natural behavior in dogs, but it is not sanitary if he licks your face and hands after servicing the litter box for you. He might even carry the contents onto your bed, rug, or sofa to savor slowly. This behavior increases the chance of parasites spreading amongst your pets. Place a dog barrier in the doorway or install a cat door to your kitty’s bathroom. There are also litter box concealers designed to keep dogs out.
• Preventive Grooming
  It is much easier to remove loose hair from a pet than to remove the same amount of hair from the entire house. Pet hair will stick to carpets, clog air conditioner filters, tangle in vacuum cleaners, and settle in your tea. Brushing your pet before baths will reduce the amount of hair clogging your drain. Your pet’s hair can be saved and sent to artists to be spun into yarn and woven or knitted into clothing and keepsakes for you.
• Your dog should wipe his feet
  Have a large doormat at your door. Whenever your dog comes from outside, command him to “Wipe your paws” and encourage him to tramp on the doormat—lead him in circles with your hand, leash, or a treat. Praise him when he has done it long enough. After your dog has grasped the command and performs it regularly, you might say it with a mildly scolding tone to communicate that he should be wiping his feet without being told. Many dogs however, will always need to be reminded, or else he may wipe his feet only when you are looking. You can also place a mat where your dog has his paper or pee pad and teach him not to track urine out of the bathroom.
• Wash your pet’s laundry twice
  When you launder your pet’s bedding or toys, run a second wash cycle without detergent to reduce the amount of chemicals your pet will ingest when he handles them with his mouth. Or at the least do an extra rinse cycle. For the same reason, do not use dryer sheets for your pet’s items.
• Common household poisons
  Many cleaning agents are actually dangerous poisons which are harmful to pets, children and even some adults. Whenever possible, choose natural alternatives such as vinegar or baking soda or use milder products such as dish detergent or hand soap. Bacause pets can learn to open doors and cabinets, keep really dangerous substances as drain openers in the garage (unless they are heat sensitive, explosive substances).
  • Discourage pets from eating treats on floors cleaned with disinfectants, polish, or carpet cleaners. Daily contact with small amounts of toxins may not be immediately fatal, but will cause long term damage to organs—lungs, kidney, liver, etc.
  • Try to use natural alternatives to clean floors and keep your pet from walking on floors before cleaning agents are fully removed or dried to prevent ingestion of chemicals while grooming themselves, which they will probably do immediately after walking on the stuff.
  • Devices that disperse perfume and scents in the air can harm your pets. Cats are especially vulnerable to poisoning by essential oils and airborne substances because they absorb these products through the skin. If you need to cover up pet and litter box odor, purchase similar products from a pet supply catalog.

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Tags: dogs, Pet Care Articles, pet health, pet safety