Spring Dog Safety Tips You Need to Know

Spring is here! You might see flowers starting to grow, birds building nests, and trees getting their leaves back. It's a time when everything feels new and fresh.

Your dog probably wants to spend more time outside, just like you. But before you do, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure they stay safe this spring. Here's a simple list of spring dog safety tips to help you get ready:

Spring Plants and Flowers

Many common garden plants, like apples and tulips, have some substances that could be bad for your dog. Most of the time, they'll just cause a tummy ache, and most dogs won't eat plants that are poisonous to them anyway. Most toxic plants, like hellebores, granny's bonnet, and bluebells, would have to be eaten in huge amounts to cause any real harm, so it's not very likely.

However, some plants and flowers can be poisonous, even deadly, to dogs. So, it's important to know which ones are the worst, so you can avoid planting them.

For example, flowers like daffodils, foxglove, tulips, hyacinths and jonquils can cause diarrhea, vomiting, heart problems, drooling, shaking, seizures, and trouble breathing. Calla lilies can cause intense irritation in the mouth, drooling, vomiting, and trouble swallowing.

Chrysanthemums and daisies can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, lack of coordination, and irritated skin. Lily of the valley can cause vomiting, diarrhea, heart problems, weakness, collapse, seizures, and even a coma.

Shrubs such as oleander can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, heart problems, weakness, collapse, seizures, and a coma. Azalea and rhododendron can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, weakness, heart problems, and depression. Yew can cause vomiting, heart problems, trouble breathing, seizures, and even sudden death.

Even some houseplants can be dangerous. Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) can cause intense irritation in the mouth, drooling, vomiting, and trouble swallowing. English ivy, Mother-in-law's tongue (snake plant) and Kalanchoe can also cause vomiting, heart problems, diarrhea, and drooling.

Fleas & Ticks

Fleas and ticks become more active as the weather warms up, and they'll start looking for a free meal on your pets. Fleas can make dogs itchy and uncomfortable, and some are so allergic to flea saliva that even one bite can cause a bad reaction. 

Once fleas get into your house, they can be extremely difficult to eliminate. Ticks can also spread serious diseases. Ask your vet about a good natural flea and tick prevention product for your pets.

Give Your Yard a Good Clean 

Pick up any old sticks and acorns from last autumn that your dog could chew on or swallow. Clear away dead leaves where ticks like to hide and check your gardening supplies to make sure any mulch, lawn treatments, or pest control products that could be poisonous are kept where your pet can't get to them.

Seasonal Allergies

Dogs can develop allergies to various substances in their environment, such as grass, and pollen from trees. If your dog only shows allergy symptoms during certain times of the year, like spring and autumn, they probably have a seasonal allergy. This means they're allergic to things that are only around during those specific seasons.

Dogs with seasonal allergies might get itchy in certain places, like their paws, or they might be itchy all over. They can also get ear infections and skin infections repeatedly when they're exposed to allergens at certain times of the year.

Most dogs with seasonal allergies show symptoms in the spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November).

Check Those ID Tags

Make sure your dog's ID tags are up to date. As the weather gets warmer and they spend more time outside, there's a greater chance they might escape. Check that their ID tags are easy to read and have your correct contact information. If your pooch has a microchip, contact the microchip company to make sure they have your current information too.

Spring Exercise for Your Dog

With warmer weather coming, it's a great time to get out and exercise with your dog more to help them lose any extra weight they might have gained over the winter. Not to mention that the extra time outdoors should be good for both of you.

But hold on a minute! If your pet hasn't been very active over the winter, you'll need to plan how to get them back into shape carefully. Like any athlete who's been resting for a few months, you can't expect to start where you left off. 

Slowly increase your pet's activity to avoid problems like strained muscles, sore paws, and exhaustion. Start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise and how difficult it is.

Be Aware of Bee Stings

According to experts, how serious a bee sting is depends on where your pet gets stung. A sting with a little swelling on a paw, leg, or other part of the body probably won't cause big problems. 

However, a sting on the face could be more serious. If you think your dog has been stung by a bee, call your vet as soon as possible and watch your pet for signs of an allergic reaction.