If you're like some people, you're glad that summer is winding down and are looking forward to cooler, more comfortable days ahead; and your furry friend will probably appreciate the cooler temperatures as well. However, even though pets won't suffer as much from the heat as they do in the middle of summer, autumn nonetheless comes with its own set of potential health and safety issues for pets. Here's what you need to know about making sure your pet has a happy and healthy autumn. 

Ticks Are Still a Problem

Even though most people associate tick activity with spring and early summer, they're still active in autumn, and your pet may be more likely to come in contact with them at this time because ticks are beginning to settle down for the winter by hiding in leaf litter to latch onto unsuspecting meal sources such as domestic pets. Some types of ticks, such as deer ticks, actually enter their active season in autumn. Always check your pet for ticks thoroughly after any outdoor activity. On a brighter note, standard ticks will be easier to detect in autumn because they've likely grown to maturity and are therefore larger than the ones you find in spring and summer. 

Autumn is Rodenticide Season

As temperatures begin to drop in autumn, enterprising rodents begin their search for warm and cozy accommodations in which to spend the winter. And this means they tend to reside inside human homes. As a result, the use of rodenticides increases significantly during this time of year, posing a potential safety hazard for domestic pets. Although it's important to keep any and all rodenticides out of reach of your furry friends, you also need to know that rodenticide poisoning often happens to domestic pets who consume rodents that have been poisoned. In other words, if your neighbor uses mouse poison and the mouse crawls outside and dies, your cat may become seriously ill by eating the mouse. 

Autumn is Mushroom Season

As you probably already know, many domestic pets love to explore using their noses and mouths. Even though most mushrooms that grow in the wild are completely harmless to pets, a small number of them are pretty toxic. It's important to be mindful of any mushroom growth in your yard, removing it if you're not 100% certain of what it is and that it's not among the ones that are toxic. Be sure to contact your pet's veterinarian for autumn pet care tips specific to your geographical location. 

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