Sometimes we forget that dogs are often like a two-year old that never grows up.  And like we must do for two-year olds, we have to make sure to keep dangerous items out of their reach.  One such dangerous item that you may take for granted and not think about are pain-killers.

Pain-killers like Advil are extremely dangerous for dogs.  They have a candied exterior that dogs find attractive, and the bottles though “child” proof are far from “jaw” proof.   A dog’s mouth is far more capable of opening almost anything that small, clumsy fingers cannot, so child proof means nothing.  If a dog opens a bottle of Advil or similar pain-killer, they can easily swallow the entire bottle in a matter of seconds, and the result is devastating.  A friend of mine’s dog did this with Advil and barely made it; most dogs are not that lucky.  I was reminded of this today when I heard a bottle shake and caught my Shepherd Lizzie running around with a bottle of Benadryl she had taken off the kitchen counter.

Also be careful with any type of bottles that contain toxic poisons.  A dog can find any bottle a fun play-toy, but one hard bite can break it open and send poison right into their mouths.

So take a look around you house (and garage!) and make sure medicines and poisons are carefully put away where even the sneakiest four-legged thieves can’t find them!  Don’t forget your purse and briefcases.  I’ve had more than one pen stolen from mine, so keep that in mind if you have a nosey pooch!