Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/173907
Easy tips for a safer home There is no reason to be afraid of sharing your life with your pet! Dr. Christina Winter of Flannery Animal Hospital in New Windsor offers some practical tips to use at home to keep everyone disease free: 1. Don't let your pet lick you in the face. This one can be tough sometimes, especially for children. Who doesn't love puppy kisses? But remember that animals use their tongues to groom and clean themselves. 2. Wash your hands after playing with your pet. This common sense tip can go a long way to preventing the spread of parasites that your pet may have brought inside. 3. Bathe your animals regularly Animals, especially dogs, love to roll around on the ground and dig in the dirt, and that means all the wildlife that surrounds us can get brought inside right along with them. 4. Use a poop scoop This can be a pain but both pets and kids alike can step in a pile of feces and track it throughout your home. 5. Clean paws when coming back inside Your pet isn't going to tell you their paws are dirty and you don't want to have to wait for footprints on your floor. Better to make this a regular habit upon entering your home. 6. Leave your shoes at the door Not only will this help your floors stay clean, it can help prevent the possibility of tracking unwanted parasites into your home. 7. Keep the sandbox covered Kids love to play in the sandbox. Unfortunately, so do a lot of the wildlife that call the Hudson Valley home. Keep it covered so that your kids can play safe and you can worry less. Flea & tick preventatives We live in an area that has a high concentration of ticks. It is important that all animals be protected to stop the spread of Lyme disease. Geri Struble is learning the hard way about the importance of flea and tick prevention. She was recently diagnosed and is undergoing treatment for Lyme disease. Although she lives in a residential area — right off Route 211 in Middletown — her daily walks with Jack, her 9-year-old shih tzu, was the likely source for Lyme. "Deer still come through here and there, and at the time Jack was not on a flea and tick preventative," says Struble. "Generally I only used it when we had a flea problem." Not anymore. Since her diagnosis, she has made sure Jack is always on a flea and tick preventative and she has even taken steps to protect her indoor cat as well. hvparent.com Hudson Valley Parent 17 n quality dance instruction dance classes dance schools ballet tap jazz hudson river performing arts center