The K9 Safety Guru

02/26/2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Natasha Gleeson #630-460-9974

March is Pet Poison Prevention Month
March 2022, Glendale Heights,IL…Pet Poison Prevention Month begins March 1st, but every pet parent must stay diligent all 12 months of every year to protect their furry family members. One-fifth of all phone calls to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center involve dogs and cats who have accidently swallowed human medications, over-the-counter (OTC) meds and prescriptions. Common pain relievers found in most home medicine cabinets, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen, antihistamines, and cold and flu medications can result in serious illness and fatality if consumed by pets.

Natasha Gleesson, K9 Safety Guru offers Pet First Aid & CPR classes in West Suburbs IL that can help make pet parents more aware of the dangers dogs and cats can encounter along with teaching them what to do to help their pet even before veterinary care is available. According to Gleesons mentor, Denise Fleck, The Pet Safety Crusader, “It is important for pet parents to follow three simple rules…

1) Be Proactive
Examine your house and yard from your pet’s height, 6” – 22” off the ground. Dogs can detect scents 10,000 – 100,000 times better than humans, so if it smells interesting, they will eat it!
2) Be Prepared – Keep the number for Pet Poison Helpline (888) 764-7661 accessible and know the shortest route to your Animal ER. Also, have a well-stocked Pet First-Aid Kit handy, and know your pet’s baseline vitals (including weight).
3) Should the Worst Happen…Gather Information, React Calmly & Effectively
Determine the type of injury, perform a Head-to-Tail check to make sure no issues are missed. Take pet’s vitals (temperature, heart rate, respiration, gum color), and observe symptoms (difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, bleeding) to report to veterinarian.”

Explains Gleeson, “My goal is to empower other pet owners with the skills I have acquired to rescue Rover or help Fluffy feel better, so I am proud to offer pet first aid classes in our community.”

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS of poisoning include:
Vitals not normal
Rapid or decreased heart rate
Difficulty breathing or heavy panting (which also often indicates pain)
Gums pale, blue, yellow or red
Muscle tremors or seizures
Vomiting and/or diarrhea, sometimes with blood
Drooling or foaming
Pawing at the mouth
Redness of the skin, ears, eyes, any body part
Lethargy or anxiety
Blisters or sores on the mouth or skin where poison made contact
Swelling
Elevated or decreased heart rate, breathing or body temperature
Anything that is not normal for your pet!


INHALED POISONS
That tiny spritz of perfume we smell in a room is just as strong in an enclosed stadium to a dog! Because of that, toxic fumes can be much more deadly. Inhaled poisons include aerosol sprays, carbon monoxide, gases, and other fumes inhaled into your pet’s lungs. Bleaches, detergents, and disinfectants are the most likely household chemicals to cause a problem, but diffusing essential oils in your home may also be problematic. Therefore, keep pets away from these chemicals by securing them before, during, and after cleaning time. Pool/spa chemicals are also commonly implicated in inhalation poisonings. Keep these products safely contained during regular pool/spa maintenance.

Remove ALL animals from the home for at least 24 hours when any pest control is used, even if it says “safe” or “pet friendly.” Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds have very short noses and don’t have the ability to filter out toxins before they reach the longs. Although longer-snouted dogs have more time to filter, those toxins can be extremely harmful to their nasal passages.

Natasha Gleeson offers Pet First Aid & CPR Classes in our community. Contact Gleeson at #630-460-9974 [email protected] to learn how to help your dog when they need you most!

ABSORBED POISONS
When our pets get into something they should not, paws and snouts are primary areas of contact, but your dog or cat may absorb toxins through the ears, eye lids, belly, and any place there is skin. We often forget, but “skin,” that protective covering on our furry friends as well as ourselves, is the largest organ of the body providing considerable surface area for harmful things to enter.

An additional danger caused by substances that get on paws and coats is that they may also be ingested once the animal licks and grooms. Should you notice something on your pet that should not be there, wash the area thoroughly and get to your veterinarian at once.

For peace of mind and to do the best you can for your furry family members, enroll in a Pet First Aid & CPR class offered by Natasha Gleeson. This class can open your eyes to dangers as well as teach you steps to prevent further injury and keep your pet more comfortable until you reach veterinary care. Contact Gleeson at #630-460-9974 [email protected] to learn how to help your dog when they need you most!

INGESTED POISONS
Every year thousands of pets needlessly suffer, and many die, from ingesting substances in our homes and even from human food. Be proactive in making sure your pet’s environment is free of potentially hazardous substances:

Get down on all fours and look at life from your pet’s point-of-view, (indoors and out), and keep harmful items out of paw’s reach.
Install childproof locks on cabinet doors if you share your life with curious critters.
Read labels and purchase “pet friendly” chemicals and cleaners.

When you have a dog or cat, you have a four-legged toddler for life, and it is your responsibility to supervise where your pet goes and what they can get into.
Gleeson shares, according to the Pet Poison Helpline, 50% of the calls they get are related to chocolate but plants, medications and cleaning products also rank high on the list of toxins ingested by pets.
Gleeson offers Pet First Aid & CPR Classes in our community to prepare you to help your pet when they need you most. Contact Gleeson at 630-460-9974 [email protected] to learn how to help your dog or cat when he needs you most!

Send a message to learn more

02/23/2022

Not just the foot And leg structure but can all the way up to the shoulders and back/spine and Does cause arthritis.

02/07/2022

Fire Safety is important for All our family members 🐾 & don't forget to check those smoke detectors!

02/02/2022

01/12/2022

Winter is here! ❄️ 🥶
And that means deicers will be used. Make sure you use a Pet Safe ice melter. Not only do the usual deicing salts dry out and burn our pups paws but if they lick their paws after and ingest too much of it it can cause mouth sores, GI upset, elevated sodium levels which can cause tremors or even seizures. This is a great veterinarian recommended ice melter to consider.

12/24/2021

These are the worst for your dogs. I have seen them get stuck in throats ...cause blockages And not to mention the terrible way they are made. Kongs stuffed with Peanut butter and thrown in the freezer are a great treat. Raw meaty bones are great as well. Always monitor you dog and never leave them alone with any treat/bone.

12/21/2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Natasha Gleeson,630-460-9974 [email protected]

Top 5 Holiday Pet Safety Tips

December 18th,2021-To ensure a safe time for all,Natasha Gleeson of The K9 Safety Guru is encouraging pet parents practice these Top 5 Holiday Pet Safety Tips, and to sign up for a Pet First Aid Class. “As hard as we try to keep our dogs and cats safe, life can get in the way, so I am here to teach pet parents and caregivers what to do when the worst happens,” explains Gleeson.

According to the Pet Products Industry Association, Americans spent $103 billion on their pets last year and 85% of dog owners and 76% of cat owners think of their pets part of the family. Therefore, companion animals play a major role in our lives. That is why Gleeson trained with The Pet Safety Crusader™ (aka Denise Fleck) to teach these animal life-saving classes. “Only 1 out of 10 pet parents will be lucky enough NOT to have an injury or illness occur with their pet at some point in time, so knowing how to handle a choking incident, upset tummy, poisoning, seizures or other ailment even BEFORE veterinary care is available makes sense!” Fleck says.

With Christmas upon us, the chances for ingestion of pet-UNfriendly foods and choking incidents, multiplies, so supervise, supervise, supervise throughout the celebration, and learn pet first aid…

ROUTINE: Walk at your normal walk time, feed on schedule and don't forget to play -- it does a body good (human, canine, or feline). Don't forget vitamins, washing of bedding, scooping of litter. Holidays create added chores, but change can create anxiety in your pet coupled with the intense energy you are giving off at this time of year. Sticking to your normal routine will help.

DECORATIONS: Don’t let pets access tree water. Don’t hang edible items on the tree. Take care with candles and holiday scents which can upset canine and feline noses. Ribbon, tinsel, and bread dough ornaments can all be hazardous. When you have a furry child, you have a toddler for life that you must keep safe.
COMPANY: Dedicate playtime just for you and your dog or cat BEFORE company arrives, and then let kitties retreat to a quiet back bedroom with safe toys to keep them out of mischief — scratching post, kitty tree or chew toys for dogs, maybe even quiet music, or a radio to drowned out noise coming from the boisterous humans. If you feel your pet can make an appearance, let him join in the fun, but remind children (0-99) not to bother pets when they are eating or sleeping, and to never pull ears or tails. If kitty’s ears and whiskers go back or your pup utters a low-gutteral warning, it’s time for socializing to cease. Pheromone sprays (Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats) may take the edge off their anxiety. Also, take care to make sure doors and gates are closed so as not to have a pet escape, and kindly ask overnight guests to keep suitcases closed so that your pet won’t sniff out trouble.
FOOD & WATER: Anything on the floor is fair game, including toothpicks from hors d’oeuvres! Designate a place to deposit used cocktail sticks, and safely throw away bones, foil, and plastic wraps. Yeast from bread rising on counter tops will continue to ferment in a pet’s tummy, causing life-threatening bloat, an intestinal blockage and/or alcohol poisoning. Have pet-safe treats available and avoid giving Fido or Fluffy salty foods, gravies, dark meat and skins, and NO COOKED BONES of any type! With the heat cranked up in our homes and potentially upset tummies brought on by holiday stress, make sure your pets are staying well-hydrated.

QUALITY TIME: Take time out daily to show your furry family members how much you love them! Drop your purse, briefcase, or backpack when you come home and get on the floor and play; make time for a walk WITHOUT your cell phone so that you tune in to your dog; let your cat curl in your lap and give her your undivided attention. Paying attention is one of the best ways to make sure you pets stay safe – by noticing them and keeping their environment safe.


For those moments when life happens, know where your nearest 24-hour animal emergency hospital is!

Sharing your life with a pet should be among your greatest blessings, so rejoice in knowing a four-legged friend has chosen to share his life with you, and in the New Year, learn or refresh your Pet First Aid skills so that you can help your dog or cat when he or she needs you most!

12/18/2021

There is no one in the Pet industry that would recommend these. These are dangerous And you have Major lack of control of your dog.

12/09/2021

Make sure to keep these out of Paws reach!

12/07/2021

Did you know that 75% of the dogs I come into contact with are overweight? It's so common that when people see a dog that is fit and or an ideal weight people think they are too skinny or not fed enough. Weight effects so much in a dog especially when aging a little extra weight makes it so much harder on the joints of a dog. How does your dog rank?