Autumn Dangers: Protecting Your Pets from Seasonal Threats
Autumn is the time of year when the days are getting shorter and colder, the trees are dropping their leaves and we batten down the hatches ready for the rapidly approaching winter.
Whilst many of us look forward to the season of “Hygge” as the Danes and Norwegians would say, Autumn does present several challenges for keeping our pets safe and well.
In this article, whilst not exhaustive, we shall look at both the better-known and the less obvious dangers associated with this time of year for our pets.
Conkers and Acorns:
Both of these “seed-containing fruits” of horse chestnut and oak trees contain toxins which are poisonous to dogs. Conkers contain a poison called aesculin which can make your dog sick and cause gastric issues, and even death if consumed in large volumes. Due to their relatively large size and solid consistency, dogs can also choke on conkers or develop blocked intestines after consuming them. Acorns contain a toxin called tannic acid which also causes tummy issues, but in larger quantities, can cause sudden onset liver and kidney failure. Green acorns are more dangerous than brown ones. If your dog has ingested any conkers or acorns, it is advisable to contact your veterinary surgeon for advice as soon as possible.
Mouldy leaves and fruit:
Dropped fruit and leaves rot and turn mouldy and can make your dog poorly, causing signs such as tummy pain and loose motions. Additionally, fallen fruit ferments and can develop tremorgic mycotoxins, causing dogs to become very poorly very quickly. Common signs include vomiting, wobbliness, hyperactivity, and a high temperature. In severe cases, there may be convulsions. Prompt veterinary treatment is essential if you see your pet consuming mouldy “food”.
Toadstools/Mushrooms/Fungi:
Whilst some varieties of wild mushrooms are edible, it is often impossible to safely distinguish them from poisonous ones. Signs of mushroom toxicity vary from a stomach upset to even death and may have a rapid or slow speed of onset. For this reason, if you discover that your dog has ingested wild fungi, contact your vet immediately for advice. Take a photo of the fungi, or a sample if it can be safely handled as this will help to identify the species and help determine whether or not it is a toxic variety.
Dopey wasps:
Due to the recent Autumn heatwave the UK has experienced, there are more wasps around at this time of year compared to usual. Dogs are typically stung on their paws or around the face and usually develop only mild irritation, swelling or pain. Dogs stung on the paw - usually after treading on a bee or wasp - may start limping or may chew, lick or bite at the afflicted paw. However, some dogs may be stung on the tongue or in their mouth after trying to chase/eat a bee or wasp, and this may cause the throat to swell, making it difficult for your dog to breathe- this is a medical emergency and a vet should be contacted immediately. In cases of a mild reaction to a sting, clean the area with soap and water, and then apply a well-wrapped cold compress onto the affected area, such as a bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel, as this will help with the inflammation.
Fleas and Ticks:
Dogs can pick up fleas when they come into contact with other infested animals, or when the fleas act as little “hitchhikers” and jump onto your dog while walking them. This time of year, when the central heating gets put on, always causes a surge in the number of fleas as dormant eggs will hatch in ideal conditions of heat and the vibrations of a passing “host” or pet, causing flea infestations to erupt in your home. This is why it is important to protect your pets all year round with a suitable flea product - appropriate for the body weight, age and species of your pets.
Ticks are blood-sucking mites more commonly found in the Spring and Autumn but can feed from dogs all year round. Ticks can pick up diseases, such as Lyme disease, from one mammalian host, then pass it on to another, including humans, resulting in the spread of disease. When a tick attaches, it is generally oval, flat and small in shape, the size of a sesame seed, but as they become engorged from their blood meal, they grow in size and change in colour from pale yellow/cream to grey. They commonly attach to the head, ears, groin and armpits of dogs so it’s always sensible to carefully run your hands over your dog’s entire body when you return from a walk in the country, particularly if you’ve been in woodlands or pastures.
If you do find a tick on your dog, it will need to be carefully removed using a special tick tool such as the O’Tom Tick Remover as it is important to ensure the head of the tick is also removed by just yanking on the tick, the head may remain embedded in your dog, causing possible inflammation and infection.
Bonfire Night and Halloween:
Almost half of dog owners say that their pets are scared of fireworks, and many dogs will act differently at this time of year as firework season begins, even if they don’t act overtly terrified of them. Old or spent fireworks contain certain chemicals that can be harmful to a dog and cause a range of effects such as upset stomachs, or passing blood in their poo through to causing fitting, kidney and liver problems, so always check your garden the morning after to make sure all remnants of spent fireworks/sparklers are removed. For more tips for keeping your dog calm on bonfire night, please read our blog on that very subject.
Likewise, Halloween may mean a change of routine for pets, with strangers coming to the house, and unfamiliar costumes/decorations in their environments. One of the main dangers of Halloween to dogs is the amount of sweets/chocolate around. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine which can be poisonous to a range of animals, and the more expensive and darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it is likely to contain and therefore the more poisonous it is. If large enough quantities are eaten, chocolate can initially make your dog vomit, or give them a tummy upset, but as theobromine is a stimulant, it can also cause excitability, muscle twitching, tremors, fitting and fatal heart complications.
Sweets contain large amounts of sugar and fat, and so can cause gastric upsets, pancreatitis and even organ failure in large enough quantities. Even sugar-free sweets can be very poisonous to dogs due to the sweetener Xylitol, which many of them contain; this can cause a dog’s blood glucose level to fall dangerously low and can also cause liver failure.
Alabama Rot:
This is a thankfully rare but potentially life-threatening disease that affects dogs and its proper name is cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy or CRGV. The exact causes of the condition are still unknown but it is believed to be related to walking in muddy environments. It causes problems with the blood vessels in the skin and kidneys, initially causing ulcers or sores, usually on a dog’s legs and paws, and progressing to renal failure which is often fatal. As so much is unknown about this relatively “new” condition (at least new to the UK), our advice is to try and avoid walking your dog in very muddy areas, and if they do get wet or muddy, thoroughly wash and dry them off when you return home.
Sources:
Common Autumn Dangers For Dogs And Puppies | Vets Now (vets-now.com)
Dog walks – What to avoid in Autumn | Petplan
Autumn dangers | The Kennel Club
7 dangers to avoid for your pet in the Autumn | FirstVet
10 Of The Most Common Dangers For Dogs In Autumn | Ruffle Snuffle
Animal Welfare in Autumn - Seasonal Advice | RSPCA
