During this time of year, there are different challenges to ensure our pets are kept safe from certain dangerous items.

Dr. Christy Fields with Companion Veterinary Clinic of Greene County reminds everyone to be aware of antifreeze being harmful to pets.

“It does have a sweet taste. So dogs and cats will just lap it up if you have some that has leaked on the ground or you have a container full of it. It causes kidney failure in pets. So just be very careful when you’re filling your vehicle with antifreeze.”

Dr. Fields recommends cleaning up any spills and keeping antifreeze out of your pet’s reach. She points out another issue is mouse poison being extremely harmful to pets.

“Mouse poisons don’t have an antidote. So there’s nothing we can do once your pet is eating those. If we can catch it soon enough we can try to get it out of their system by causing them to vomit. But otherwise there’s not a lot of good treatments.”

Dr. Fields notes several pets have fallen ill from mouse poisons already this season. She suggests using either sticky and spring-loaded traps to catch mice.