Protecting Your Pet From Wild Animals

Whether you live in the country, in the suburbs, or even in a large city, pets are always at some risk for injury.  These can be from vehicles, the terrain, and from other people, but no matter where you are, pets are nearly always at some risk from wild animals.

Most wild animals that one would think of as being a threat have learned that straying too near people is not a good idea.  Large predators are often the victims of hunters and others but this does not mean that your pet is safe from all danger.  Mountain lions are well known for occasionally choosing a pet as their next victim.

Mountain lions have been known to prey on family pets.

But is not only the large predators that you and your dog need to be worried about.  Even those creatures that you are used to seeing around your yard or neighborhood – squirrels, birds, chipmunks, etc. – can still be dangerous for your pet.

The very first; and possibly the most important, step to keeping your pet safe is to vaccinate.  Your veterinarian will have a number of vaccinations available that are recommended for all pets.  Many of the diseases that these vaccinations provide protection against are transmitted by other pets, but some, such as rabies, can be spread by wild animals that your pet may come in contact with.  If your pet is not vaccinated, contact your veterinarian to find out at what age your pet should be vaccinated.

With major diseases taken care of, there are still a number of precautions you can take as a pet owner.  When walking a dog, it is very important that you keep your pet on a leash.  Even pets who can be trusted off leash can unexpectedly get in a tussle with a wild animal that may be near by.  Even wild animals like squirrels or skunks can do a measure of damage to a pet using both teeth and claws as weapons.

Back at home it is advisable that you keep your dog on a leash even when going outside and cats are much safer outdoors.  Most veterinarians will recommend that you keep your cat indoors but if you must let your cat outside it is very important that that animal not be declawed.  Claws are a cat’s first defense and if declawed your cat has a much slimmer chance of being able to escape an attack by a wild animal.