Preventing pets from getting poisoned
ellaNAYOR enayor@florida-weekly.com

For some reason I have been thinking of an old gal pal's beagle named Madison.

First I need to explain that Madison was no ordinary run-of-the-mill yodeling hound - though she did do her share of baying.

No sir, Madison was cut a bit differently from the rest of the beagles. Maybe it was the fact that part of her heritage was comprised of Bassett hound.

Whatever it was, that hound dog loved to eat - I mean really eat. Madison would not only eat dog food but she voraciously scoffed down people food as well. Let's just say a turkey sandwich left on the counter had about five seconds of safety before she would find and devour it.

But aside from her food passion, Madison went buggy over inedible things as well. She particularly had a hankering for under garments. Many a time I would find myself near tears of laughter as my friend Shannon would try to reason with and then wrestle with Madison over an absconded intimate bit of apparel.

Ok, but humor aside - Madison was a danger to herself. She thought nothing - actually she didn't think at all - of consuming anything that captured her fancy.

Aside from the aesthetics of having a dog eating one's underwear, a bigger issue remains as to what else could they possible get their snouts on?

Though Madison might be a bit extreme in her culinary quests, most dogs are curious by nature and tend to get into things they shouldn't.

Things like toxic plants and rat poison.

The folks at the Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Fort Myers told me that more pets are getting into rat poison lately.

The problem with agents like rat poison is that it's made to be palpable to animals so that it will be consumed by, presumably, rats.

But some tenacious dogs will go the extra mile and topple over vases and other barriers to get to a yummy smelling poison.

One staff member at the clinic told me a dog leaped over a TV to find some rat bait poison.

And while we're on the topic of dangerous ingestible items let's not leave out people medicine - which are often left out on coffee tables and easily accessible night stands - and seemingly innocuous plants.

Pets, especially dogs, think nothing of noshing on some pretty leafy plant growing on your lanai. The problem is, those pretty leafy plants are packing toxins that could harm or potentially kill your beloved pet.

So, how do you keep your pooch safe?

Knowledge truly is power when it comes to protecting our four-legged friends. First, be careful when buying poisons for pests. If you must use the stuff ensure that the poisons are not accessible at all to curious pets.

As far as plants go there are pet friendly Web Sites that offer lists of paws-off plants. Check-out www.doctordog.com.

Also check with your vet and see if they have lists that you can take home and stick on your fridge or bulletin board.

And don't forget to post emergency vet numbers and poison control lines near your phone in case your pet ingests something poisonous or toxic. Remember the quicker you act, the higher probability your pet will fare well.

In other pet news:

• The Calusa Nature Center, 345 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers holds dogs walks from 4- 6 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. There are trails available for walking. Cost is $5 per leashed dog. Humans are free. For more information call 275-3435.

Contact Ella

>>Readers are welcome to share their stories, information and needs with Ella Nayor at enayor@ florida-weekly.com. Pet Tales is designed to provide entertainment, support and education to our pet lovers.