How to 'pet-proof' a home: March is Pet Poison Awareness Month

Pet experts talk about steps owners should take to pet-proof a home

March is Pet Poison Awareness Month, and Dr. Steven Hansen with the Arizona Humane Society says a lot of typical household items can make your pet very sick, or even kill them if owners aren't careful.

PHOENIX - March is Pet Poison Awareness Month, and the Arizona Humane Society wants pet owners to be sure their house is safe from typical household items and foods that can make dogs and cats sick.

"We like to encourage pet parents to poisonproof the house so we don't have animals getting sick," said Dr. Steven Hansen with the Arizona Humane Society.

Hansen says a lot of typical household items can make your pet very sick, or even kill them if owners aren't careful. That's they AHS wants people to take time this month to make sure their house is pet safe.

"The most common is over-the-counter drugs," Hansen said. "This includes things like ibuprogen, anti-inflammatories -- but nowadays, we're seeing more cases of things that are related to vaping. Vaping containers contain significant amounts of nicotine, and dogs will chew those up and they can get very, very sick especially if they're in packs."

Just like baby-proofing a house, pet-proofing a house is also necessary. This requires searching for things a pet could get into when the owner is away.

Some tips: