Every
house and apartment has them, we enjoy them and use them every day.
But this ordinary household gadget
that
lights up our lives so much also can have a dark side, because it can
easily become a deathtrap for pets.
This
seemingly harmless gadget
is
a window, and when left open, it can result in a curious pet jumping
to its death or being severely injured, according to animal welfare
experts. And this danger, best known as high-rise syndrome, is most
likely to happen in warmer weather when unsuspecting pet parents open
windows for a breath of fresh air.
"Many
people don’t realize how curious cats and dogs can be around an
open window,” Dr. Klein, supervising veterinarian at Chicago
Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, states in a media release.
“Pets don’t have the same sense of danger that people have and
are easily enticed by things they see outside. The results can be
catastrophic.”
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Story continues here
Dr. Louise
Murray, vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York,
says high-rise syndrome is easily prevented by simply installing a
high-quality, sturdy screen.
“It is important for pet owners to
realize that high-rise syndrome is 100 percent preventable," Dr.
Murray states in a media release." The cost of a screen is far
less than the thousands of dollars in emergency veterinary care, not
to mention your pet’s pain and suffering, that could result from an
easily avoidable high-rise accident.”
Small
dogs and cats can slip through childproof window guards, so pet
owners need to take special precautions and install snug protective
screens, Dr. Louise Murray said.
Cats can be
especially susceptible to high-rise syndrome, because they have
little fear of heights and enjoy perching in high places, Dr. Murray
said. “Cats who never leave their residence may not realize how
high up they are. And if they are distracted by what’s going on
outside, they can jump out of the window, or lose their balance and
fall."
Chicago
Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center offers these tips to
protect pets from high-rise syndrome:
- Don’t leave your pet unattended in rooms with open windows.
- Don’t open windows wide enough for your pet to get through. Child safety locks can minimize how wide a window opens.
- Keep furniture that your pet may climb on, such as couches and chairs, away from open windows.
- Opening windows from the top, not from the bottom, may help protect dogs.
Related
reports about dogs and warm weather:
- Don’t solely rely on a screen to keep your pet safe. Larger dogs and cats have been known to jump through screens.
- Dogs and cats on a balcony or deck should be on a harness leash held
by a responsible adult.
The Ruff Report is a column that appears on MySetterSam.com,
a blog written by Joseph A. Reppucci, a retired editor from The Patriot
Ledger in Quincy, Massachusetts. Mr. Reppucci worked as a reporter and editor on major daily
newspapers in the Boston area for more than 30 years. He is the author
of the book, The Hunt of Her Life,
a heartwarming story about his once-in-a-lifetime rescue dog. Find it on Amazon.com.
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