When we brought our first Westie, Sassy, home, Penny was working for a total dog person. Jean, her boss, visited our home within hours of Sassy’s arrival. Naturally, she wanted to meet the puppy. However, with her extensive doggie experience, she arrived with a basket of items we didn’t know we’d need, since we were new to dog guardianship.
Today, if we were to welcome a first dog into a family, we’d fill our basket with cleaning supplies and items to prevent having to clean up after the dog, both at home and away.
At Home Necessities
Think for a moment about the types of clean up you might have to do for a dog or cat. There will be accidents around the house that require an enzymatic cleaner/stain remover to address evidence of bodily fluids. We use Nature’s Miracle Enzymatic Formula Urine Destroyer Plus Dog Stain & Odor Remover. You’ll also need a gentle pet shampoo to clean the animal if needed.
Next is a basic animal first-aid kit, which should include a thermometer, self-adhesive bandages, sterile saline wound wash, chlorhexidine wash for skin issues, gauze pads, and scissors or a mini shaver to remove hair around a wound.
Preventative Measures
We’ve found many ways to prevent the need for cleanup or at least make it easier. We invested in waterproof throws for our furniture and bed. We love the Mambe brand and have sent these as gifts to friends to celebrate the arrival of a new dog. And, we take them with us when we travel to protect the furniture and beds in hotels or rental homes.
Puppy pads in various sizes are great for incontinence or GI upset. If you’ve ever tried to pick up loose stools on the sidewalk, you know it’s difficult. Our solution is to carry small pads and a plastic bag. We slip a corner of the pad under our dog when she sets up to poop, and do our best to make sure it catches what she produces. If successful, you not only leave the sidewalk as you found it but also prevent the spread of diseases from the waste.
When faced with GI issues inside, we put larger puppy pads around our Poppy’s favorite resting spots and can grab one quickly if she shows signs of vomiting or diarrhea. We also used these in rental cars with our last Westie, Maggie Mae, who suffered from motion sickness.
For dogs with incontinence, in heat, or being housetrained, there are belly bands for boys and disposable diapers for girls. If you choose to use these, you have to be very careful to change the absorbent material and clean the area as soon as it is wet to prevent skin damage from the moisture.
Always Pick Up Dog Waste
When you are out and about, there is no excuse for not picking up after your dog. It’s the law, and what’s more, not picking up and off-leash dogs are the weapons dog haters use to restrict access to parks, beaches, and other places we would love to take dogs.
Despite having a supply of pickup bags in our pockets, we keep an extra roll on our leash. We can share these with other dog guardians who’ve run out of their supply and are considerate enough to ask another dog person if they have an extra bag.
However, we also supply bags to potential scofflaws when we catch them in the act. If they know we saw them, we’ll ask if they need a bag. If they’ve already walked away, we use a line that always stops them in their tracks: “Excuse me, you dropped something!” When they turn back, we offer them a bag. So far, this has not proved dangerous for us, but we suggest you use it with common sense and your own safety in mind. We all know how nasty some people can be these days.
