-Safety First for Your Pet-

With the New Year upon us it’s a good time to think about replacing items that have become worn out or dangerous for our precious pets.  Here are four products, in no particular order that you might want to evaluate whether they should stay or go.  All these items can cause harm to your pet either directly or indirectly.

1. Retractable Leash

There is just so much to dislike about these leashes.  First, they cannot be used to effectively train your dog – you have no control over them.  They quickly teach the dog to pull on the leash to extend the lead.  It is best to train your dog on a standard leash.  I have seen so many people try to “reel” their dog back in when they have gone off to the end of the leash and then encountered a problem:  could be another dog, a person scared of dogs, a cat or possum or skunk.  How about a moving vehicle.  I cringe when I see someone walking a dog across an intersection with their dog on a retractable leash and the dog is way out in front.  There are some distracted drivers behind the wheel in South Orange County, and if your dog enters the intersection before you and before a driver sees either of you, that could be tragic for your dog.  We do not want that to ever happen.  Ditch that retractable!!!

Additionally, the “cord” of this leash is very thin and easily broken.  Even the “ribbon” retractable are not sturdy.  I’ve been the victim of “rope burn” when an excited doggie quickly wrapped that retractable around my legs and then proceeded to keep moving.  That rope can cause major injury to your limbs.  I was lucky to escape with just some missing skin and a couple of indentations but some people have been bloodied and even lost fingers.

Solution:  Replace it with a 6’ flat leash.

2. Plastic Food and Water Bowl

They may be cheap but they can become dangerous.  The plastic can begin to break down, peel and flake off.  This can cause toxic chemicals to be leached into the food or water.  Also, those bowls always become scratched.  These scratches can trap bacteria and oils from the food that become impossible to clean and sanitize.  Some dogs can develop allergies to the plastic materials and dyes used to create these bowls.  Dogs that like to chew on their bowls can break off small pieces and swallow them.  That could lead to a visit to the veterinarian.

Solution:  Replace with stainless steel or glass/ceramic – easy to wash in the dishwasher.  

3. Chewed Up and Broken Down Toys

My dog Makena is a crazy strong chewer.  I’ve found some great toys at Costco that say they are for “heavy chewers”.  These may last up to 5 days in our house.  Any other toys he gets last about 10-15 minutes.  I have grown tired of cleaning up all the stuffing that he quickly scatters about from those standard toys.  I now only buy him toys without stuffing – “flatties”.  He enjoys them but they quickly get shredded with chunks of toy shattered everywhere.  He still enjoys playing with those smaller pieces but I quickly remove them when they get too small for comfort.  Please keep an eye on all your dogs’ toys and if they have a toy box, periodically inspect it to make sure all the toys are safe, not too small, and not bitten up so much that they have sharp edges or pose a choking hazard.  If you do notice that your dog has bitten off some smaller pieces of toy, remove them immediately and try to see that those pieces have travelled outside the body, either through poop or vomit.  This can quickly become an emergency situation to remove the foreign object from their throat or GI Tract.  

Solution:  Replace with new toys appropriate to their chewing level. 

4. Old, stinky collar, harness and leash

If your dog wears his collar all the time, it can get really worn out and stinky.  If it is ill-fitting, either too tight or too loose, it can cause chaffing issues or hot spots.  Check their collar now to be sure it is fitted correctly and while you are at it, check to see that the ID Tag is legible.  These can get hard to read over time.  Also check their harness and leash for wear, and the harness for fit.  If possible, give all these items a cleaning at least several times a year.  Imagine all the things your dog does with his collar on: sweaty walks, rainy walks, beach visits, rolling around in the grass or dirt, or romping in the pool.  At The Pet Sitter we always check to see that the collar and harness are fitting correctly, and let the owner know if something needs to be replaced.  We make the fit adjustments ourselves and let the owner know that we have.  If you would like to get your dog on a regular fitness program that includes walks and playtime, we would love to help you out.  Check out our website to see what services we offer.

 Solution:  Replace with new collar or harness.

If you can think of other items that should be replaced on a regular basis, please let me know.