Petsitting Safety: Halt these Hazards

Are you accidentally leaving an opportunity for the pets to get into trouble between petsitting visits?

After you've fed the pets, checked their water, given them treats, showered them with attention and played with toys until they couldn't possibly take it anymore (oh, wait, that was you), your work isn't quite finished yet. (Sorry.)

Before you leave the pet alone, even for just a few hours, you'll want to run through this Sittercity safety checklist to make sure you didn't leave any potential hazards for Fido or Fluffy to get into.

PLAYTIME

As tempting as it is to leave the pets with an arsenal of toys to keep them entertained, do a careful check to make sure you're not leaving a toy with small parts or choking hazards. This includes yarn, string, squeaky toys, loosely packed tin foil balls, rope toys, etc. Also, don't let the dog chew on any rawhides while you're not there, since small bits may lodge off and get stuck in their throats.

FOOD

Remember to pay attention to the pet's allergies and be on the lookout for symptoms that have hopefully been outlined by the pet owner. Make sure the pets don't have any access to food in the cupboards, on a counter or on the kitchen floor. Double check all trashcans to ensure that the lids are on tight, since the most dangerous foods for dogs are often lurking in this smelly mess.

MEDICATION

It may seem absurd to you, but people have been known to medicate their pets with items such as Tylenol and Asprin. Please don't be one of them. If it ever gets to the point where you think the pet has something wrong with them, something that requires treatment, call the person who is actually trained to handle these situations: the vet. He didn't get his education for nothing.

WALKS

When you're walking a dog, remember to keep him away from newly treated lawns, as they contain harmful chemicals, insecticides and pesticides that are definitely not good for the pet. Learn more about dog walking safety.

CLOSE DOORS

Do a quick run-through of the home and make sure all toilet lids are closed, doors to hazardous rooms are closed (especially check kids' rooms, since they usually resemble battlefield war zones that are completely unsuitable for pets), washing machine and dryer doors are closed, and heavy doors are shut, since they can swing closed quickly on the pets.

DON'T DRIVE AWAY QUITE YET...

So the house is safe and the pets are safely inside. Don't hop in your car and drive away quite yet. Bang on the hood of your car to make sure there are no cats (either the one you're sitting for or other neighborhood strays) hiding underneath your vehicle.