Summer safety tips involve a lot of common sense, but in the fall, as the weather cools off, we may become a little more relaxed, and worry less about things like pets becoming overheating or sunburned. But this pleasant little season poses a few threats of its own.

Oh, rats. Literally & Figuratively.

This is the time of year when rodents begin to move indoors. Gross. Super gross.

Even worse, there are rodenticides that some folks use to take them out. A pet owner should never, ever use these products. When ingested by any animal- rat, mouse, dog, cat- these poisons can be deadly.

Know that you may have neighbors who do poison rodents, so do your best to make sure your pet doesn’t eat one. Call the vet immediately should your pet consume rat poison or a poisoned rat. Either way. Gross. Just gross.

If you do have a rodent issue, take note of these pet safe products.

Shrooms, dude.

It’s mushroom season and that can mean terrible things if you’re not cautious. 99% of mushrooms are not toxic, that one percent can be deadly if ingested by a pet.

Unless you’re a mycologist, it’s difficult to tell the difference between safe fungi and a killer one.

Keep your pet away from wild mushrooms and seek immediate veterinary attention if the little booger still gets a hold of one.  

Slither hither

Many venomous snakes are beginning to prepare for hibernation as the weather cools off.

This means they can be particularly aggressive. Know what kinds of snakes live in your area and talk to your vet about protecting your pet before a bite, and have a plan of action should a bite occur.

In the bag

As kids are returning to school, their backpacks begin to fill up with all kinds of things- candy, gum, science projects, and supplies that can be harmful to animals.

Keep everything that comes home with the kids out of your pet’s reach. Remind your kids to not leave their school bag open for the pup to reach.

Trick or Treat

Halloween deserves 50 pages of tips when it comes to your pet’s safety, but here are the highlights:

Only dress your pet up if it’s totally safe and he/she likes it.

Keep pets calm and safe during the doorbell ringing hours.

Hide the candy. (Seriously, don’t leave it on the front step and let your pet wander near it).

Decorations can be eaten and cause a serious scare.

Jack-o-Lanterns can tumble over, use a fake candle.

 Fleas, Release Me.

Nope. Not in Texas anyway. Make sure you continue to use flea, tick, and heartworm prevention all year long.

Go play

If your pets have grown used to relaxing all day in an air-conditioned house during the hot summer, autumn can be a great time to get out, get some exercise and enjoy cooler temperatures.

Just remember to go slowly and get you and your pet back into park-shape.

You’ll probably want to work on training commands too, everyone’s skills get a little rusty if they aren’t practiced for a while.

However, you and your furry friend celebrate the season, be safe and make beautiful memories together!