How to Avoid Unwanted Vet Bills

This generation is a new breed in terms of lack of direct personable interactions. We are GLUED to our smart phones and many of us aren’t getting any smarter. We are constantly neglecting the present and completely neglecting our own safety as well as our pets because of it. How can you be aware of your surroundings with headphones in and eyes glued to our phones. We won’t be. Not only should we all be looking out for ourselves and others, but what about our beloved pets.

First off, when we are walking our dogs, we must be paying attention to what they are doing. Some people seem to love this activity with their dogs. They bring their dogs on hikes or to the beach. Some of the great dog owners out there really go above and beyond for their dogs. When I say go above and beyond, I mean their dogs have a different activity and a different new place to explore almost every day. If you are the “above and beyond” dog parent or the typical, you must be paying attention to your dogs and making sure they are not going to do anything to harm themselves.

Dogs can cause serious harm to themselves by ingesting foreign objects, running into the street, sniffing a dog that may not be friendly. We must pay more attention or else it will eventually cost us. Dogs (albeit mostly puppies) will eat almost anything off the ground. I’ve seen dogs eat rocks, asphalt & even woodchips. Things that are in our homes that I’ve seen come out of dogs varies from baby socks, women’s garments to whole chunks of yarn. Luckily the dogs were able to pass these objects instead of having to get a serious and expensive surgery. This is a very dangerous habit and can be vert costly.

Our pets develop habits; some will be quirky and cute, while others can be not only dangerous, but very expensive.  Let’s think about all the cute habits our pets can develop. Let’s say when you get home from work your dog will greet you with his front paws waving, while he stands on his hind legs. Or maybe they spin around excitedly, how cute. Maybe, when you get home from work your dog just swiftly runs around the house joyfully. No harm no foul.

In some cases when you get home from work, maybe your dog has already found a sock of yours that he has already ingested half of while you weren’t home whether out of separation anxiety or being under-stimulated. We need to pay more attention to the habits our dogs will develop and research why they may be doing things like this. A foreign object removal will most likely be between three and four thousand dollars. Some people may not know it, but a lot of times when your dog is behaving in such a way, it’s because they have too much time on their paws. They need structure and exercise to get all that energy out, or else they act up. 

Also, is your dog being corrected for behaviors like this? Are you as the dog owner taking the correct precaution to make sure this doesn’t happen on a daily basis? Are you making sure you have the items your dog loves to eat, put up and out of reach? This is a must while you are helping them deal with stress and teaching them this is not what you want them to do. We could all deal with this in a different way, but your pet may simply need another hour or two of exercise a day. Some of us would just make sure everything is put away, while others may just want to crate train their dog, so their dog doesn’t have the option to go find something to get into. If your dog does need more exercise, it will most likely be a lot harder for you to be confident that your dog is safe in that kennel, while it is home alone. 

I have seen dogs eat through doors, drywall and even wooden trimming along the house. I have even seen dogs break out of locked kennels. You would be surprised what some of these boys and gals are capable of. It’s important to make sure you get some of that energy out of your dog before leaving them home alone to hurt themselves or cause any damage to your home.

If your dog has separation anxiety and is ingesting things when you are not home or maybe even when you are home, this can cause great harm to your dog and may in some cases be deadly. There are so many interactive toys you can buy for your dog now a days it’s insane, and they keep coming up with new ideas. These help dogs deal with stress and anxiety along with giving them some mental stimulation. They can even play with these toys when you are home and busy around the house.

Amazon has tons of cool toys such as “snuffle mats” which come in all different sizes and styles. This toy kind of looks like a shaggy rug that you can put a bunch of little kibbles in, in hopes they won’t fine every piece of kibble right away. There are lots of styles like I said so you can always find one that is more complicated for your dog. A few other interactive toys I would recommend to dog owners who think their dog is dealing with separation anxiety. Or, even dog owners who want their dogs to have a little stimulation or just simply something to do while there away would be an interactive toy “Seek-A-Treat” it’s almost like a puzzle for your dog to solve and once they do there are treats hidden inside the pup puzzle. There are also great “Kong” toys that can hold a whole meal, and this can take something 10-20 mins for your dog to finish just one meal. If you use raw food and freeze the Kong it may take even longer. Not only is this fun for your dog but also helps them slow down the rate at which they are ingesting their food. These are also all great enrichment toys.

If your dog is prone to destroying ever toy you put in front of them, it may be a good idea to watch them the first few times they are playing with their new interactive you. If you are nervous about giving them a toy that has treats and/or food in it with the worry they may eat the toy, play it safe and look for a tougher interactive toy for your dog. There are tons on amazon.

Another huge reasons your dog’s behavior may have gotten this bad is because of lack of stimulation and exercise. Keep that in mind.

At the end of each day, dog owners will have had to put in some kind of work and/or money being the pet parent. In this blog I have mentioned some awesome interactive dog toys to help keep your dogs entertained while you are not home and with some pointers on how to keep them safe when you are away. In most cases I think it’s safe to say they may need a lot more physical activity and play time.