Falling Leaves, Shorter Days: What Autumn Means for Pet Health

It’s the season of pumpkin lattes, fluffy socks, and pretending the heating isn’t on yet.

But for our furry friends, autumn can bring a few extra hazards worth knowing about.

First up — mouldy leaves. Yes, that mountain of mulch in your garden could be harbouring some pretty nasty spores that cause upset tummies if eaten. Then there are mushrooms — beautiful, mysterious, and occasionally poisonous. Unless you’re a fungi expert, best assume they’re all dodgy and steer paws clear. With both of these hazards, it’s rare that we actually see sickness in dogs, but we’ll get one or two every year. If your dog is sniffing/licking leaves or mushrooms that’s fine – it’s just try and avoid him messing around in the compost too much, or it can be problematic 😊

Dark evenings also mean lower visibility — so reflective collars, LED lights, and hi-vis leads are your best friends. I still see an amazing number of dogs walking with their owners on the pavement, but not wearing a lead – when you’ve seen the number of car-related injuries that we have here at KVC, you’ll always have your dog on the lead. Even if your dog is super super sensible and obedient, you don’t know what could happen next, a screaming siren could freak him out, another dog, a cat, then suddenly he’s run full speed across the road and you can’t stop him…please be careful!

And don’t forget fleas and ticks — just because summer’s over doesn’t mean they’ve clocked off for the year. Warm homes and damp outdoors make autumn prime time for both. Often we see an influx at this time of year as the central heating comes back on- if you’re not sure your pet’s up to date with their treatments, give us a ring.