What to know
- Barbecue foods such as cooked bones, corn cobs, onions, grapes, chocolate and alcohol can be dangerous or toxic for pets.
- Fireworks, parties and large gatherings can cause significant stress for some animals, making a quiet, safe space essential.
- Hot weather and swimming bring added risks, with experts urging owners to watch for heatstroke, supervise pets around water and never leave them in parked vehicles.
- The Toronto Humane Society says preparation and prevention can help pet owners avoid costly emergency veterinary visits.
With the long-weekend approaching, many people are planning parties or cottage trips. So, a Toronto pet expert is urging pet owners to take these simple steps to prevent emergencies and keep their furry friends safe.
Everyday items can already be dangerous enough for pets, including some human foods or pet toys that can create obstructions.
But the long-weekend is inviting more hazards into a pet’s life.
Dr. Linda Jacobson, director of science and advancement at the Toronto Humane Society, shared a list of things to look out for to prevent an emergency pet visit.
BBQ foods that can make pets sick: What’s toxic or can cause an obstruction
The long weekend may bring many BBQ plans. As fun as those can be, it’s important to host or attend one safely for your pet.
Jacobson says to be careful how you dispose of food, so pets can’t get to it, and not to leave food unattended.
“We worry about cooked bones. That can get stuck, cause an obstruction, and there’s a lot of risk to the animal and very high bills,” Jacobson told Now Toronto.
Another hazard is corn cobs and skewers.
Onions and garlic are also toxic to cats.
“Cats won’t necessarily eat them by themselves, but they’ll eat them if they’re part of something else that’s dangerous to them,” she said.
Other things to beware of are grapes and raisings, chocolate, alcohol, or anything with artificial sweeteners, she shared.
Fireworks, parties and stress: Stress and psychological safety for pets during gatherings
Some pets might love people, but others may become very fearful. Jacobson reminds pet owners to understand their pet’s emotions and know how they might react. She gave the example that some pets may not enjoy children and can snap if they’re uncomfortable.
“Big gatherings can make pets really stressed and afraid… The dog might be signalling, ‘I’m uncomfortable. I don’t want you nearby.’ Then the kid might just give the dog a big hug, and the dog might snap, she said.
How to calm your pet during loud noise
“Fireworks are terrifying to a lot of animals… So that’s a matter of making sure they’re indoors, closing the windows and the curtains. Put on some music or the TV so there’s some other kind of noise competing with the fireworks,” Jacobson explained.
She suggests not taking dogs out to firework displays as fireworks can be very scary. The same goes for thunderstorms.
“Speak to your veterinarian ahead of time and get an anti-anxiety sort of sedative medication,” Jacobson said.
Dogs can be natural swimmers, but it doesn’t mean they have endless endurance
You might leave your dog in the pool to cool down, but, like humans, they can get tired of swimming, which can be dangerous.
“If they’re left unattended and they’re in a pool, they may not be able to get out, and they may ultimately drown because of exhaustion,” Jacobson explained.
She says it’s the same as when caring for a child, make sure there’s always an adult supervising.
Life jackets can be a good idea in areas where they could be carried out by the current, but they still don’t substitute for supervision, Jacobson shared.
Pets can also drink from chlorinated pools, which can make them throw up, so the risk might not be huge, but it’s unpleasant for the pet.
Some lakes, however, have certain types of algae that can be toxic for pets.
“You should always have a source of fresh water for them,” she said.
Is my pet tired or having a heat stroke?
Jacobson shared the key tips for identifying your pet’s physical condition.
“If they’re just tired, they’ll be panting. They might not want to walk, but they’ll still have normal strength. They’ll still be responding normally to a person,” she explained.
Comparatively, pets having a heat stroke will pant, look anxious, and will be unable to stand or walk. In really bad situations, they can lose consciousness.
“Anything like excessive panting, brooding, weakness, vomiting, or collapsing; those are medical emergencies,” Jacobson said.
At that moment, she recommends “dunking” your pet in cool water, getting them inside and getting to veterinary care as soon as possible.
She also reminds pet parents to never leave their pet in the car.
“Those temperatures can rise very, very fast. Within 10-15 minutes. That could be enough to kill the dog,” Jacobson said.
More preventative measures for your pet
If you bring your pet camping, microchip them and put a collar with your phone number on. That way, if someone finds your pet, they most likely won’t have a microchip scanner, but they’ll be able to reach you by phone to return you to your furry friend.
When should you bring your pet to the emergency room?
If you’re concerned that your pet’s temperature keeps rising, your furry friend might need IV fluids and other support.
“If you’re not sure, you should rather get to a veterinarian and they can assess the animal. The worst thing that could happen is that you may have a consultation you didn’t really need, as opposed to if you wait, and you wait too long, and that could lead to organ failure and death,” Jacobson told Now Toronto.
“Prevention is better than cure. These are issues that can really be anticipated, and they can be relatively easily prevented,” she said.
