While summer and winter are the two seasons we most commonly associate with extreme weather that we need to be cautious about with our pets, Fall has its own set of challenges.

It doesn’t have to be winter for it to be too cold for your pets outside—be especially vigilant if you have a young puppy, a senior dog, or a smaller breed. If you have a breed that you shave to keep cool in the summer, now is the time to let them start growing their luscious locks back. Investing in quality rain and winter gear is a great way to help keep them dry and warm too!

Believe it or not, it’s still flea and tick season, and lots of pets love romping around in piles of fallen leaves or other debris, which unfortunately is a great place to pick up a tick! Be sure to stay up to date on their flea and tick repellent routines—they’re still out there!

It’s also important to be smart about spoiling your pet at holiday gatherings. Remember to not hand out things like chocolate, poultry bones, or certain fruits and vegetables that we can have, but they can’t. Here are some resources for you when it comes to the do’s and dont’s for foods.

• You can find a list of what is and is not ok HERE.
• PetMD also has information about the health hazards of feeding pets people food HERE.
• Why is my dog throwing up? check this out HERE

You might start making sure your car’s anti-freeze is full at this time of year, and while it goes without saying, anti-freeze is very toxic to pets! Be sure to watch for leaks or spills, and clean them up when you see them. Keeping the pet out of the garage or away from where you usually park is the best way to stop them from letting curiosity get the best of them. 

Fall may have fewer specific dangers, but summer dangers overlap at the beginning of the season, and winter dangers overlap at the end.