One of A Kind Education

Our weekly blog is typically educational and informative, focusing on the importance of pet care and safety. This week will not disappoint, as there is always so much to learn and know when sharing our lives with our fur babies. We will discuss the importance of storing other pet foods safely away from our dogs, especially the mischievous ones, and the unfortunate affects that may result when we fail. This will further lead to the discovery of safe and effective cleaning products on all home surfaces.

All of the employees at One of A Kind share their homes with numerous pets, both adopted and fostered. This love sometimes leads to decisions that can have rather foul repercussions. One such outcome occurred when a One of A Kind employee was sharing the bed at night with three dogs rather than crating them safely away in their own beds. This warm blanket of furry loveliness often creates the perfect environment for the soundest, deepest sleep. This is also the ideal environment for a mischievous Pitbull to sneak off like an ornery toddler and get into things…such as hedgehog food not properly stored.

LESSON #1: Secure your dogs at night and while you are away for the safety, security, and cleanliness of everyone.

In the employee’s defense, the elderly hedgehog had crossed the rainbow bridge and the bag was unopened. The next day, she awoke to find only the empty bag.

LESSON #2: Store all foods in air-tight containers in cabinets, pantries, or drawers, away from all pets.

Thankfully, the dog did not consume the bag, but this is a very serious concern with pets in the home. Plastic bags present choking, suffocation, and foreign body blockage hazards.

The next night, all family members drift off to sleep. The previously mentioned Pitbull whines in the middle of the night to go outside, as she often does, to conduct surveillance of the outside perimeter for no apparent reason. Said family members quiet the dog.

LESSON #3: DO NOT quiet a whining dog.

At this moment, the most horrific sounds begin to occur from the posterior of the Pitbull, accompanied by the most pungent odor known to man. The loving, dutiful, fur-mom flies out of bed in a furry, running out of the bedroom, down the hall, two flights of stairs, through the foyer, across the kitchen, reaching the back door where the dog is still whining to go out and finish the business that started in the bedroom and continued through the entire house. Mom is covered in excrement, but not quite so loving at this point.

LESSON #4: Always turn lights on prior to sprinting through your home.

LESSON #5: Grab corrective lenses if you require them.

This begins our cleaning segment. Numerous pets and children in the home require safe, non-toxic, effective cleaning products. Trust that this was a major mess on carpeting, hardwood, skin, and paws. This is not an endorsement of any kind, just a helpful tip in what works. Hopefully, you will not find yourself in the same set of circumstances, but should a catastrophe such as this one occur, know that a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar works wonders on hard floors, especially with a little baking soda thrown in for scrubbing action. For carpeting, a bowl with Dawn dish soap and a little bit of hot water works wonders, especially if you scrub the snot out of it with a firm brush.

LESSON #6: Keep all products on hand and easily accessible.

EXTRA TIP: If you grumble under your breath in a low, throaty manner, all pets will stay clear of you while cleaning up messes, avoiding the spread to unscathed areas. The Dawn dish soap will also work well on your pup’s paws. We use Dawn dish soap at the rescue for various reasons, as well as other cleaning agents. We are currently low on bleach and laundry soap if you wish to help us out!