Before bringing home your adorable Golden Retriever, take steps to dog-proof your house and surrounding areas. Know the signs of a serious medical problem or pet emergency, so you can contact your veterinarian and, if needed, give the right amount of pet safe medications to your Golden Retriever.
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Dog-proofing your home, yard, and garage is essential for keeping your Golden Retriever (and your house!) safe. Go through this list to create a pet-friendly place:
Keep medication bottles and cleaning supplies out of reach.
Don’t toss dental floss where your puppy can get into it.
Unplug electrical cords.
Beware of coins, socks, needles, and tinsel.
Watch out for stringy stuff like yarn and sewing gear.
Do not use roach or rodent poison or other pesticide in areas accessible to your puppy.
Keep the toilet lid down and never use toilet bowl cleaners.
Keep the diaper pail lid shut tight.
Hide all trash.
Hide your underwear.
Beware of certain chemicals, such as treated lumber products and flea control products.
Watch out for windows.
Hide the antifreeze.
Store weed killers, pesticides, and herbicides out of reach.
Ban cigarettes or at least keep those ashtrays clean.
Watch out for poisonous plants, such as Lily of the Valley, Oleander, Rhododendron, Japanese Yews, and Poinsettia.
Beware of herbicide hazards.
Keep this list handy to recognize your Golden Retrievers symptoms that signal a dog emergency or serious health problem so you can contact your veterinarian. Also, learn the types and dosages of medicines that are safe for your Golden:
Diarrhea for more than 24 hours
Bloody diarrhea, diarrhea with vomiting, fever, or other symptoms
Vomiting for more than 24 hours (save the vomitus)
Excessive panting, drooling, rapid pulse, dark red gums, frantic glazed expression (heatstroke)
Abdominal swelling, discomfort with labored breathing, restlessness, roaching the back, drooling, gagvomiting (bloat)
Very pale gums, shivering, lowered body temperature (under 100 degrees) (hypothermia)
Depression, shivering, weak pulse, listlessness, lowered body temperature (shock from loss of blood orinjury)
Sudden swelling around the head or other body part
Poor appetite
Prolonged or pronounced limping
Shortness of breath
Extreme lethargy or sleeping habits
Frequent urination
Sudden weight loss
Excessive water intake
Straining to move the bowels
Lumps or black mole-like growths on any body part
Unexplained change in attitude: fearful, shy, or aggressive
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