There’s no time like spring to get started on your cleaning. If you don’t get rid of or replace items around your house that might harm your dog, you will be putting your dog at risk.
You should throw away these ten things if you’re a dog parent:
Bowls made of plastic
It may be cheap and easy to use plastic food and water bowls. But it is extremely difficult to effectively clean plastic. The material is easy for your dog to chew and chip, and if left unsupervised for even a short time, the shards can be choking hazards or trigger internal bleeding. Further, as the plastic breaks down, harmful chemicals can leach into your dog’s food and water. Put away the plastic bowls and replace them with steel or silicone bowls, which are safer materials.
Toys that are damaged or old
If your dog has a special toy, that toy probably contains years’ worth of bacteria. This can lead to everything from diarrhea to gum disease. It is often difficult for the digestive system to cope with stuffing, stray threads, and tiny parts that fall out. Rather than keeping your dog’s old toy, pick up a new one.
Drugs that have expired
A vet may have prescribed a prescription for your dog once when it was sick. You decided you would keep the medicine in case you needed to use it again after the condition healed. Though it may seem prudent, this is not the right choice. Over time, medicine loses its effectiveness. Furthermore, a drug prescribed for one dog cannot be used on another. Go to the vet when your dog needs you and throw away the old medications.
Holiday Treats
Usually, we save Halloween treats for another special occasion. Please make sure that the treats you give to your dog are not expired. After an expired product has gone bad, nutrients are lost, and preservatives slowly break down, allowing mold to grow and bacteria to spread. Once a year, buy new treats and throw out any that aren’t finished.
Worn out grooming equipment
Worn-out blades can cause pain to your dog when grooming. You should replace them with new ones immediately.
Old bedsheets
This is especially important if your dog has a habit of chewing the old bedding. Usually, dogs prefer to lay on beds with a familiar scent, but old torn beddings can end up causing problems to the digestive system of your puppy.
Broken Crates and Carriers
If your crate or carrier is worn out and you see torn plastic or loose wires, you should replace it with a new one immediately. These things can become choking hazards to your darling.
Old First-Aid Kit
Every dog parent should have a first-aid kit. Sometimes we tend to use our kits, and forget to replace the band-aids, wound cleaners, and other necessary items in our kits. It may be the right time for a refill or a brand new kit to replace your outdated one.
Worn-out collars
Some dogs have a habit of getting lost. If this horrible scenario ever happens, you would like to make it easier for anyone who finds them to identify them.
Overused Leashes
Changing your dog’s old leashes can save you the trouble of it breaking loose when seeing something exciting in the park.