Many common items around your home can be dangerous to your pet. Even though they may not seem that bad, you need to be very careful. For example, things as innocent as dental floss, empty peanut butter jars or even a garden hose can pose a significant threat to your pet.
- Garden Hose. When a hose sits outside in the sun all day, the PVC or vinyl they are typically made from can become exceedingly hot and the hose can pose a scalding hazard if it touches your pets skin.
- Dental Floss. If floss is consumed by your pet, it can become a linear foreign body in their digestive tract and can saw through the intestine. When disposing of your dental floss, it’s always best to ball it up and fold it into a tissue before throwing it away.
- Empty Peanut Butter Jars. If a determined pet is trying to get the last morsel of peanut butter out of a finished jar, they could get the jar stuck over their nose and mouth which can induce heatstroke-like symptoms, or even suffocation. If the jar is made of glass, they may also bite down on the jar and could cut their mouth.
- Gorilla Glue. If consumed, Gorilla Glue can be very dangerous when swallowed as it will expand in the stomach and can make a perfect cast of the interior of the stomach, making surgery the only way to remove it.
- Fishing Lures. Fishing lures can be especially tempting to your pet if you’ve baited it with something like a piece of hot dog and left it unattended. If your pet does swallow a lure, DO NOT try to remove the lure by pulling on the string, instead, cut the line and bring your pet to your veterinarian or IndyVet right away.
- Electrical Cords. If your pet chews on an electrical cord that’s plugged in, they can get badly shocked, but may also experience severe electrical burns in their mouths as well, or can develop fluid in their lungs which can be life threatening.