It becomes our responsibility to take proper care for the pets when we bring them into our house. The guidance and help of veterans is a must to provide them a safe, loving and healthy environment to live in. They are best possible pals and become a part of our lives with growing years. But on a sad note, there are a large number of pets that suffer or even die every year due to poisonous substances present within our households.

Here are few precautions that we should take to make our home poison-free for our loving pets:

- Beware of the plants present in the house and in the pet's yard. Ingestion of oleander, azalea, sago palm, mistletoe, Easter lily and yew plant by a pet can prove to be fatal sometimes.

- Never let your pets reach the area where you have stored your cleansing agents of your house. These cleansing agents have chemical properties that may cause some mild upsetting in the stomach while some severe ones may even cause burns in the tongue, stomach and mouth of the pets.

- If you are using mouse or rat baits, roach or ant traps, slug or snail baits, place them in the areas that are not accessible by your pets. Most of these baits contain inert ingredients that are sweet smelling such as sugars, peanut butter and jelly which can really attract your pet to eat.

- Never give any medication to your pet unless a qualified veteran recommend.

Some people tend to use human drugs on pets but they must understand that the medications that can be safely used on humans can prove to be deadly for animals if used improperly. For example, a 500 mg acetaminophen tablet can really kill a 7 pound cat. Keep all the medicines and prescription drugs out of the reach of your pets, possibly in the closed cabinets.

Cold medicines, pain killers, anti-depressants, anti-cancer drugs, diet pills and vitamins are the human medications that can even kill a pet even if taken in small dosage. For example, a 200 mg ibuprofen can be a cause of stomach ulcer in a 10-pound dog.

Unattended chocolates can also be harmful for the pets as even small amounts can be a cause of pancreatic problems in animals. Some other household items that can be poisonous for certain species of pets include pennies, mothballs, fabric softening sheets, potpourri oils, dish detergents, batteries, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and coffee grounds.

All the automotive products like gasoline, oil and anti-freeze should be kept away from pets. For example, a tea-spoon of anti-freeze can kill a 7-pound cat and a table spoon of it can be fatal for a 20 pounds dog. While applying a house spray or a fogger in the home, remember to remove all the pets from there.

While treating your garden or lawn with herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers, keep the pets away until it completely dries. Always take these points into consideration and provide your pets a healthy environment to live.