Pets diving into the trash can - don't let them do that

[Ruhi_Rose]

How to stop your dog from getting into the trashcan



Trash talk: Help pets avoid temptation

By JACQUE ESTES
PET PROJECT
Journal Online   Link not available any longer.

August 25, 2007


Have you ever really considered what is filling up the trashcans in your house?

Probably not, since they are most likely filled with things you threw away because they were spoiled, empty or you didn't need them anymore. But to paraphrase, "One man's trash is another dog's treat."

Dogs and cats (but the cats will deny it), rummage through the trash from time to time. They may be attracted by the aroma of last night's leftovers, be bored or just curious.

Whatever their motivation, I am willing to bet that most of the items in your plastic bag-lined trashcan are not suitable for consumption or to be used as toys to play with.

Not only will your pet make a complete mess of your clean kitchen floor, and other parts of the house if they decide to spread it around, they can also get violently ill, depending on what they ingest.

The kitchen trashcan is often the one that collects not only scraps of food, but also used cleaner containers, medication bottles, batteries and houseplant trimmings. So as your pup goes after the partially eaten sandwich he may also be exposing himself to toxic chemicals, plastic bags, poisonous plants or other foods that are bad for him.

There are ways to discourage your pet from helping himself to this unlikely buffet. I have found liberally sprinkling black pepper will often turn up noses and cause the dog to abandon his trash diving, but generally I only do this if I am going to be at home and it's a temporary solution.

Other ways to keep your pet and the trash apart are:

· Buy trashcans with tight lids that are heavy enough to not tip over. The drawback with this type of container is that while it keeps the dog out, it may be impossible for you to open.

Another solution is to buy a trashcan that fits under your sink and install childproof latches on the cabinet door.

· Do not let the garbage can fill up, especially if there are used food containers. A favorite trick of ours is to place the garbage can outside the kitchen door in the garage when we will be out of the house and there are plate scrapings or empty food containers in the trash.

It is important to keep your garage door shut so that your garbage doesn't attract animals that are outside. I have to do this when there are birdseed hulls in the trashcan because my Labrador and golden retriever ignore the birds but love the seeds.

· Properly dispose of toxic materials such as batteries. These items should not be placed in the trash where they will end up in a landfill. There are places to recycle them.


The acid in batteries can be fatal to your animal. Call your garbage service for more information on how to dispose of used batteries.

Other toxic materials, including bottles of cleaning fluids such as bleach, glass cleaner and ammonia, will be harmful to your pet if ingested.

If your pet does eat a hazardous item contact your veterinarian immediately. For after-hour emergencies, or times when you cannot reach your veterinarian, the ASPCA has a 24-hour Animal Poison Control hotline, (888) 426-4435. There is a fee for this service.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Hummm, interesting.  Actually I heard Bob McDonald, the host of Quirks & Quarks of CBC Radio, say that dogs have a different immune system than humans.  They can rummage thru the garbage yet not get sick like humans because biologically their system is protected differently.  He didn't talk of cats because someone had raised the question about dogs, but of course as we know, cats are just as interested in diving into the garbage.  I would say, it's animal curiosity that makes them do that for fun.  That curiosity is also a very natural phenomenon.  That's why even house pets who are fed very well round the clock are not able to get over the trash can fascination 

[Ruhi_Rose]

Actually I heard Bob McDonald, the host of Quirks & Quarks of CBC Radio, say that dogs have a different immune system than humans.  They can rummage thru the garbage yet not get sick like humans because biologically their system is protected differently. 

Yes that's correct.  But I think he must be talkin' about eating stale leftover foods only.  When food becomes stale, particularly if it's kept outside the fridge for a long time, it harbors a lot of toxins that can make humans seriously sick with food poisoning and other stomach problems.  But such leftover stuff never or seldom affects dogs and cats.  However this is only true about food.  As explained in the article above, trash can can contain many other harmful stuff like scraps of plastic bags, batteries, medicines, empty hair color tubes and so on.  The animal can ingest bits and portions of such stuff while 'scavenging' thru the trash can or eating the discarded food.  Sometimes, puppies and kittens that are very playful might also pick items like batteries, date expired medicines or hair color tubes and start playing with them.  That can be very dangerous for their health. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

yeah, get your point

[Zainab_M]

The best way to keep the trash out of the reach of pets is to buy a wooden kitchen stool (not a very high one) and place the linned trash can over it.  Make sure it's not a very large trash can.  This might mean you'll have to empty the garbage more frequently, but that's not a big problem.  In fact it will keep the kitchen smelling better.  And this way, the trash-can can be kept uncovered which is a lot more advisable.  It's always better to keep it uncovered.  If garbage is covered with an airtight lid, the smell of it gets trapped inside and somehow it always escapes outside, making the kitchen smell stale and bad.  And in those kitchens where they may have problems of roaches and rats, they too get more easily attracted to closed garbage cans. They always find ways and means to get inside it despite the cover.  The cover gives them greater privacy.  And then, when you open the cover to throw some trash, apart from the strong whiff of bad smell, you might be in for another surprise.