If the thought of your dog getting loose in the dark keeps you sleepless with fear, take action. Consider getting your dog a collar that's equipped with LED (light emitting diode) lights. These collars, which are available at many pet supplies stores, can illuminate your pooch amidst dark and murky landscapes. This, in turn, can help prevent many potential accidents involving vehicles.
LED Lighting and Canine Visibility
All dogs require regular exercise to stay healthy and happy, even in the darkest and gloomiest months of the year. If you can't easily spot your dog when it's dark out, whether due to the time of year or time of day, that can pose a potential hazard. Using a leash or collar that is adorned with LED lights, however, can solve that pesky dilemma. If you need any suggestions on suitable doggie-friendly products that make use out of LED lighting, consult your veterinarian before you make a purchase. Some LED safety lights products are specifically designed for owners to affix to their pets' leashes, collars and harnesses. If your dog wears a collar with LED lighting, you can monitor his playtime sessions in your backyard easier. You can help him avoid stepping in mud on your walks. If he somehow gets loose, collars with this lighting can help drivers on the road avoid hitting him.
LED Collar Details
If you're thinking about getting LED collar lights for your pooch, take your time and select a product that's most suited to your pet's needs. If your fenced backyard is large and your dog likes to roam around in it, you might want to select collar lights that have darkness visibility of upward of 1,000 feet, for example. Note that many collars with LED lighting are waterproof, too -- a plus for wet, rainy days with low visibility.
LED Lighting and Festivities
Festive times of the year are fun, but not if your poor dog experiences harm. If you have a jack-o'-lantern in your home on Halloween, think about abandoning the candles and instead opting for LED lights, suggests veterinarian Shanthi Ramachandran of the Alpine Veterinary Hospital. Make sure dogs never have access to live flames, period. An excited dog can run into a jack-o'-lantern during a play session, for example, and quickly get hurt. They're also potentially hazardous to curious felines.
LED Lighting Around Your Home
If you want to light up your yard, LED lights can make a good option for you, as they don't shock and are therefore not as hazardous to pets, says author Sandra S. Soria of the "New Front Yard Idea Book." At the same time, they're also not as dangerous to children, as well -- a major bonus. They offer the advantage of being long-lasting, too. If you're not sure of which LED lights to employ, talk to your vet. She can recommend some appropriate low voltage options for your needs.
LED Lighting Caution
Although LED lights can offer safety benefits to pets, it's crucial to always be careful with them, as well. Light strings in general can be perilous to dogs, with serious risks such as electrocution. Prevent your dog from experiencing any problems with LED lighting by always carefully obscuring cords. Cords should never be accessible to animals, no matter what. If your pooch gets his teeth on a cord, he could experience major oral burns. He could even develop accumulation of fluid within his lungs, which can be a fatal condition.
References
- Pampering Your Pooch; Jason R. Rich
- New Front Yard Idea Book; Sandra S. Soria
- Alpine Veterinary Hospital: Healthy Pets Are Happy Pets
- Severn River Animal Hospital: Pet Winter Safety
- Parkside Animal Hospital: Cold Weather & Holiday Pet Safety
- Fremont Veterinary Hospital: We're Going Green!
- Inventing the Electric Light; Lisa Mullins