May is recognized as National Pet Month, a time to celebrate our cherished pets. At New Albany Plumbing & Drain, we understand the importance of every family member, including your beloved pets. As pet owners, ensuring the safety, happiness, and health of your pets is paramount. Additionally, maintaining an efficiently functioning plumbing system is critical for homeowners as well. It’s important to recognize that even pets with minimal needs can impact your household maintenance, including the plumbing system, if not managed properly. Join us as we talk about keeping both your pets and your plumbing system safe.
Consider Pet Grooming
Maintaining proper grooming for your pets is essential for preserving cleanliness within your household and protecting against pests like ticks and fleas. However, pet grooming presents certain challenges, especially for your plumbing system. Here are several tips.
Baths: Bathing your pet at home not only mitigates odors but also promotes a healthy coat. However, undertaking this task personally may lead to plumbing challenges, such as fur accumulation and potential blockages in the tub.
- The installation of a hand-held showerhead can enhance the efficiency of pet bathing experiences.
- Employ a drain screen over your bathtub or shower drain to effectively capture washed-off fur and prevent drain clogs.
Fur Brushing: Regular grooming of your pet is crucial for minimizing shedding and reducing the buildup of loose fur.
- Utilizing the correct brush tailored to your pet’s specific hair type can facilitate the grooming process.
- For a more optimal outcome and to reduce the spread of hair indoors, try brushing your pet outdoors whenever feasible.
- For individuals with long-haired pets, it is advisable to implement a weekly brushing regimen. This will aid in enhancing the health of your pet’s coat but also mitigates potential stress on your plumbing system during bath times.
Consider Pet Food & Pet Waste Disposal
Pet Food: Have you ever washed dry pet food down your sink? If so, it’s important to point out that disposing of dry pet food (kibble) down the kitchen sink and using the garbage disposal can reap harmful consequences on your pipes. This is because dry pet food expands upon contact with water, potentially causing significant blockages in the plumbing system. Furthermore, when the wet food dries, it solidifies, further aggravating the obstruction. It’s best to stay away from this practice altogether and simply dispose of old dry pet food in the trash instead.
Cat Litter: Managing pet waste is an unavoidable part of pet ownership; however, the disposal method can substantially impact your home’s plumbing system. Believe it or not, many think that flushing kitty litter down the toilet is okay, but this just isn’t true. The majority of kitty litter products do not dissolve in water, which can cause severe blockages to your system.
While certain kitty litter products are advertised as “flushable,” it is prudent to refrain from flushing cat litter to protect the health of your plumbing system. Despite “flushable cat litter” being labeled as biodegradable, it still decomposes at a slow rate. This can result in the gradual accumulation of clogs, as undissolved clumps of used litter gather in the system. It’s not really worth the risk of a plumbing disaster occurring.
Consider Pet Safety Tips
Digging: While it’s natural for dogs to dig holes outside, (and we fully support their playful instincts), homeowners should remain vigilant about their pets digging in the backyard. A dog digging near your home’s foundation, or buried pipelines is never a good idea. However, this tip is double-edged as it not only protects your home and plumbing system, but it also serves to keep your pet out of harm’s way.
Toilet Water: If your pet enjoys drinking out of the toilet bowl every now and then keep in mind that products designed to maintain toilet cleanliness and freshness, such as toilet tabs, gel stamps, rim hangers, and chemical cleaners, contain potent chemicals that could seriously jeopardize your pet’s health of ingested. To protect your pet’s well-being, it is recommended to keep the toilet lid closed when not in use and to consider installing a child-proof lock for pets that continue to exhibit this behavior.
Safeguarding both your pets and your home is possible, with a bit of planning and preventative care in place. For further advice on maintaining your home and plumbing system, we encourage you to explore our other information blog posts.
Should you encounter any issues or have questions, we are more than happy to assist. New Albany Plumbing & Drain is open 24/7, 365 days a year. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today at (614) 245-3319, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!