Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Back-to-School Safety Tips for Pets

Pierre: “Bentley and I are visiting a classroom today to share some Back-to-School Safety tips. Do you think if I sit up front, I can be the teacher’s pet? School looks pretty interesting so far.  What kind of safety concerns can we find in a classroom?  I mean other than bullies, slamming our paws in lockers, falling out of my chair, and algebra?”
Bentley: “Why would algebra be a safety concern?”
Pierre: “I heard Mom say that Algebra kicked her butt in school. You know that I don’t like trouble so I am steering clear of anyone named Al G. Bra.  Just look for me in the reading circle during recess.”
Bentley: “Or shoved in a locker! Maybe we should check out a couple of the kid’s lunch boxes and backpacks for safety hazards. Hey, there is the Lost and Found box. Go rummage around and find something we can use. Remember, we are looking for the dangerous things that pets can get into this time of year. School kids are very sometimes messy. It’s easy to find stuff to eat besides homework.”
Pierre: “I found an old backpack in the Lost & Found. If a kid flung one of these when they came through the door, it’d really hurt if it hit or landed on a pet. It’s a good thing that I’ve been working out or I may have gotten a hernia just from lifting this bag! Let’s dump it; I smell some kind of fruit candy.”
Bentley: “Good sniff job; but it’s not what you think.  *unzipping backpack  You smell this box of scented markers. If you eat one, it can make you very, very sick.  Trust me; they don’t taste good. They are like the vanilla extract of school supplies. Your nose thinks it smells tasty, but it really makes you gag and spit. The main difference is that marker spit is really colorful!”
Pierre: "Rainbow spit would be cool, but I’m not a fan of gagging. Plus, if it got on my white fur, it’d stain. Add the delicious smelling markers to the danger list. What else do you see?”
Bentley: “Holy moly! Is that a breakfast Danish? It is covered with green fur. Let’s eat it. Hurry, I hear footsteps!”
Me: “What are you boys up to today? Bentley! Put that down this instant. Ugh! That could have made you sick as…well, a dog. It’s important that all leftover food be emptied from lunchboxes or backpacks. Old food can cause stomach problems like vomiting and diarrhea. The bags and wrappers can also pose a choking hazard. You can’t have those raisins either. Gross, those ARE raisins, aren’t they?”
Bentley: “I’m not sure. Lemme try it, and I’ll tell you. Ha! You almost gave them to me! We know that raisins are bad for dogs!”
Pierre: “Check it out, Mom! I used paperclips and built myself some braces. *Cheesy grin  Do they make me look like a 6th grader?”
Me: “Wow, you look like a tweenager!  Here, let me get those off your teeth. Paperclips are another school supply danger. They can cut your gums or you could swallow them. If you managed not to choke, your insides would be in jeopardy.” *Removing faux braces
Bentley: “Aww, you won’t let us put anything in our mouths. What about these pens and pencils? Surely, no harm can come from chewing on a pencil.  If I accidentally swallow one, I’ll just eat an eraser and they would cancel each other. I’m sure we read that somewhere.”
Pierre: “If Bentley gets to eat a pencil, then I get to eat one too. No wait, I want to eat a pen.”
Me: “You boys are not eating any pencils or pens! The little splinters from a pencil can become lodged in your mouth and esophagus. Erasers are definitely not digestible. I’ll put these out of your reach.  No pens either, especially not the caps. What else is in there?”
Bentley: “There’s some small stuff at the bottom. *Snuffles head into the bag.  SCORE!  I call dibs on the money.  There must be at least 87¢ down here.  Finders keepers, losers weepers. *Shifts into reverse and backs out with a mouth full of coins.  Mhrmph.”
Me: “Spit that nasty money out of your mouth! It’s important that you never put coins in your mouth. Coins come in a variety of sizes, but any of them can cause choking. Some coins can even lead to zinc poisoning. If you eat coins and they don’t come out your other end after a day or two, you’d need to be x-rayed. That would not be fun.”
Pierre: “What about this glue stick? I’ve heard that little kids eat paste. This is just in an easy-to-lick dispenser.”
Bentley: “The idea of you gluing your mouth closed is kinda funny, but don’t lick that. It says on the tube Do Not Eat…that probably means licking too. Look, it’s a jumbo pack of gum. Pierre, do you know how to blow a bubble?”
Me: “Sorry. You can’t have gum either. Most sugarless gums contain xylitol. Even a little bit can cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar. In large amounts, it can cause liver failure. That’s really scary.”
Bentley: “I guess that it is a good thing we went through this backpack. There are lots of things in here could hurt dogs and cats. It’s important they are kept zipped and out of reach.”
Pierre: “Just in case; it’s a great idea to have your vet’s number handy and an Animal Poison Control. ASPCA Poison Helpline is available 24/7 at 1-888-426-4435. They may charge a fee of $65. You can always check to see if there is an Animal Poison number in your area that is free.”
Me: “There are more items to be aware of like scissors, electronics, crayons, and rubber bands. Library books and textbooks are expensive to replace. They need to be kept away from pets.”
Bentley: “If your pet and children have spent their summer days playing, the start of school could leave your pet bored and depressed. Be sure to leave your dog in a secure area with toys, water, and a place to rest.  Extra after school playtime is recommended for both pets and children.
Pierre: “We wish all of the furless kids a super school year. A few precautions can help keep your pet safe and keep your school supplies in A+ shape.”
Do you have anyone going Back-to-School this year? I know a lot of dogs and cats are going to miss their parents who are teachers or school staff. We are sending our best wishes for a happy new school year!
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21 comments :

  1. great tips!!! we love this time and although the mama goes no longer to school (but she really should) she celebrates back to school shopping efurry year, just gimme a reason LOL btw: while speaking about algebra, the mama of our mamas classmate once said she can not understand why her daughter has to learn another language, there is english and latin and now algebra too? the other parents were speechless... and the teacher too.

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  2. I sure never realised there were so many things that kids have that are completely toxic! In fact I think I'll stay away from kids until they grow up– sounds a whole lot safer!
    Toodle pips and purrs
    ERin

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  3. Oh you made me LAUGH!! I HATE algebra 1,000,000%

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  4. You guys found lots of dangerous concerns. Mom was watching Shark Tank last night and 2 women were selling the sharks on a candy called Ice Chips. It was made with xylitol and all mom keep saying was no no no no no! She gets her pumpkin seeds at a natural food store close to us but she has seen them in the grocery store near the nuts in the produce aisle.

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  5. Thankfully, there are no mini humans in our house to put us in danger...just the cats. They are always trouble around here. Mom still is in love with the card catalog your mom has.

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  6. Lol! I remember doing that with a paper clip for “braces!” Cute pics and great tips!

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  7. Ruby always gets a little out of sorts when her human sister returns to school. We have a few more weeks yet for some last minute summer fun.

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  8. GREAT advice....although I do NOT want to go to school myself, being pawfect, butt I might send the peeps?
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  9. Excellent advice. mom was at WalMart doing her "Madi's stuff" shopping. They had huge displays of wonderfully priced things for teacher's who are setting up their rooms
    Hugs madi your bfff

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  10. Pawtastic advice my furiends!
    I’d be all nose into that backpack if left unattended & available.
    This wooftastic post will give me a good reason to paws before snooping.

    Nose nudges,
    CEO Olivia

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  11. Wow, that backpack is sure a dangerous place for dogs! It sounds like kids better put the whole thing right up out of reach when they get home. We're glad we don't have to worry about that around here.
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  12. WOW - so many great safety tips - AND a lot of good laughs at the same time:)

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  13. Good tips to keep furry kids safe.

    We wish we had the hours back that we studied algebra.

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  14. Great post, and great advice ! What a fun way to share impawtant information ! Claire goes back to school every year, and we don't like the transition holiday schedule / workday schedule... Purrs

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  15. Thank cod your mom is right there to make sure you two don't get into any trouble. Great tips!

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  16. That is some good tips of things to watch out for
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  17. Those are some really important tips! Who knew that back to school time was so full of potential hazards?

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  18. Oh boyz, those are very impawtent tips! Butts, I thinks spitting in rainbow colors would be kinda cool! BOL!!!! rainbow drool! Oh, that would look good in Ma's hair! BOL!!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  19. We love kiddos, but thank you for making us think twice about 'back-to-school' safety tips. Who knew about all these threats to us guys?
    Your fur-iends,
    Sam & Elsa🐾

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  20. These are impawtant safety tips boys, thanks for sharing! I love how this was written, so clever and humorous! Parents probably never even think about most of these things with all the chaos of back to school!
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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