Pet Health and a Clean Environment

Maintaining a clean and healthy home environment is just as important for the well-being of pets as it is for humans. After all, your pets are more than just faithful and loving companions—they are full-fledged family members! 

Knowing how to keep your pets healthy and safe may not only prevent many illnesses and trips to the vet’s office, that knowledge can prolong their lives and allow you to enjoy even more wonderful years with your furry or feathered friends.

Keep the Home Clean

A big challenge pet owners face is keeping their home clean. With all the shedding and drooling, it can be difficult to maintain a spotless house, but not impossible. Groom your pet regularly to remove excess hair and dander. Use slipcovers on furniture and throw rugs that can be tossed into the washer. Better yet, train your pet to stay off the furniture. Check and clean their paws when they come inside. Vacuum and sweep often.

Your pet could suffer serious health consequences if constantly exposed to harmful germs and bacteria that develop as a result of neglected home cleanliness and hygiene. Pets can develop conditions and diseases similar to human ones, so if something is dangerous for your health, it is likely even more dangerous for your pet’s health.

Keep your Pet’s Area Clean

Cleaning your pet’s quarters, whether it is the place they sleep, eat or answer nature’s calls, is vital to preserving their health. Ensure that their bedding is fresh, regularly wash their food dishes, and pick up after they’ve “done their business” in the yard. Wash pet bedding and other washable pet-related items separately from your own laundry to keep pet hair isolated.

Eliminate Toxic Hazards

Our homes are filled with potential pet hazards. From human foods and plants to chemicals and medications, many common household items can seriously harm your beloved animals.

Properly store human foods to prevent pets from eating things they either can’t properly digest or are toxic to them. Toxic foods for dogs include chocolate, grapes, nuts, and salty snack foods. Dangerous foods for cats include fat trimmings, raw eggs or fish, milk, onions and garlic.

Similarly, store medications and home cleaning chemicals securely, as ingesting these can cause serious health problems or even death.

Indoor house plants can also provide hazards, including the asparagus fern, corn plant, lilies, heartleaf philodendron, aloe, poinsettia and mistletoe.

Clear the Clutter

Clutter isn’t just hazardous to humans, it can cause injury to your pets as well. They can run into badly-placed furniture or trip over clutter on one of their wild tears through the house and cause physical damage. Or they can become tangled in or ingest harmful items. For example, your pet might become entangled in or swallow a plastic bag and suffocate to death.

Think about the small items that become unnoticed clutter to you, but magnets to your pet, like a battery, paper clip or coin. If your pet decides to chew on or swallow one of these tiny items, they could become poisoned, choke, or incur intestinal blockage or damage.

Secure the Great Outdoors

If you let your cat or dog freely roam your yard or garden, be aware that dangers lurk there as well. Keep sheds and garages clean and clutter-free, and secure dangerous chemicals and garden tools. Look for potential tipping or falling hazards such as stacks of boxes or heavy items on upper shelves, or broken branches and dangerous brush piles. Curious pets can easily topple these and become crushed beneath them.

Check which plants might be toxic to your pet and take measures to eliminate them from your outdoor landscaping. For example, azaleas, daffodils, tulips, and sago palm are toxic plants to dogs, and amaryllis, autumn crocus and chrysanthemum are toxic to cats.

Call 123JUNK

Cleaning out clutter and maintaining a healthy environment is essential for the well-being of all your family members—both human and animal. Let 123JUNK do our part to help you clear away clutter, excess furniture and household goods, and yard waste. If you’re located in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C., simply contact us today to set your appointment.