Believe it or not, one of the most dangerous things your pet can eat isn’t a food at all: it’s the bag your favorite chips or snack foods come packaged in. When you’re done eating your BBQ potato chips, a few remnants of the snack remain in the bag. If you leave the bag where your dog can find it, they’ll naturally stick their head in. A Facebook page called “Prevent a Pet Suffocation” says many animals actually suffocate when they trap themselves in the bag and are unable to breathe. To prevent this, simply cut the bottom of the bag open before throwing it away.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When sealing up cracks around the house, resist the urge to use only rubber or silicone caulk. While these materials do seal up holes, they also can be easily chewed through by wild animals like mice. Instead, plug the cracks with a bit of wire mesh from things like pot scrubbers. Then fill the openings with something called “expanding foam insulation.” The combination of the two will both insulate your home and make it completely unappealing to wild animals.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Some of the most common entry points for mice entering your home include where outside utility pipes or wires come in, if there’s any rot or deterioration of your home’s siding or if there are cracks along the foundation. Take the time to do an inspection outside your home to see if you have any of these and seal them up. One thing you can do if you think a mouse is entering your home through an entry point is sprinkle baby powder on the ground; if you see tracks, that’s an entry point that needs to be sealed up.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION