Guard Your Pet Against Coyote Attacks

Posted on: 1 August 2016

Coyotes are prevalent in many areas of the country, even urban areas. There may be a coyote lurking around your home right now and you would probably not even know about it. Unfortunately, coyotes sometimes injure or kill our pets. However, there are ways you can keep your pet from becoming a victim of a coyote attack. Here are a few ways to make your pet less likely to be a victim of these increasing urban predators.

Keep your pet restrained:

Always keep a hold on your pet with a leash or other means even if it's in your own backyard. Though some coyotes have been known to attack pets during the day, most of the time they attack at night, dawn or dusk. Instead of letting Fido out by himself to do his "business" alone, put him on a leash instead. That way, you can quickly pull him back if an attack happens. Keep all pets indoors at night, especially small pets. When walking your dog during the day, pick him up whenever you see a coyote roaming around.

Remove attractants and discourage coyotes:

Never leave pet food outside, keep trash bins closed and store all animal feed in locked containers or rooms. Keep your barbecues clean and pick up fallen fruit (coyotes love fruit). Normal behavior for a coyote when it sees humans is to keep its distance or run away. If a coyote acts aggressive or starts to come towards you, do not be afraid to haze it by yelling or throwing rocks and sticks. Your goal is not to hurt the coyote, but to make it think that approaching humans is dangerous. Be sure to report any aggressive coyotes to the authorities.

Give your pets added protection:

No matter what size pet you have, always keep their shots up to date. Coyotes can not only carry rabies, but other diseases that can be deadly to dogs. If you must have your cats outdoors, do not declaw them and provide escape routes such as trees or other high places to get away. You can also guard your yard by placing devices such as coyote rollers across the top of your fences and gates. These rollers make it difficult for the coyote to get a grip at the top of the fence and they end up falling backwards instead. Make sure there are no gaps or holes under fences and gates.

If your dog or cat is attacked by a coyote, and you were able to keep him from being carried off, then carefully pick up, loosely wrap in a blanket and transport your pet to an emergency veterinary hospital. Many pets experience serious bleeding and broken bones during an attack and may require surgery and intensive care. Hopefully, if you've managed to take precautions, the injuries will not be serious and your pet will be back home as soon as possible.

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