If you have a pet, you’ll know how much a part of the family they are. That’s why when it comes to protecting your home, it’s important to choose a pet-friendly alarm system that not only keeps people and possessions safe, but has pet care in mind too.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is just one of the potential dangers to protect against. The problem with carbon monoxide is that it’s hard to detect without a little help; it doesn’t smell of anything, you can’t see it and because it’s non-irritating, it can be hard to spot the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

But there are things you can do to prevent problems occurring, and alert yourself before carbon monoxide becomes an issue.

Remove the threat from your pet

One thing that cats and dogs agree on is their love of sleeping. Both enjoy nothing more than curling up and napping by the fire or other warm spot around the home – but this can be where the danger starts.

Carbon monoxide can be produced in a number of ways, and these are typically related to heating. The gas can leak from unventilated kerosene or propane heaters, or be emitted from fires, gasoline engines or carbon-based fuel heating systems.

The best way to identify any problems is by using a carbon monoxide detector. Many pet-friendly alarm systems include these.

Car engines also produce carbon monoxide, so if you’re a dog owner and keep your pet in the garage along with the car, you’ll need to take extracare. A dog left in an unventilated space while a car is running will be in real trouble from carbon monoxide in a matter of minutes.

Spot the tell-tale signs

There are ways to spot if carbon monoxide poisoning is affecting your pet. The following list is just some of the symptoms they could experience, but these may differ depending on the level of exposure they have to the gas:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cough
• Flu like symptoms
• Loss of energy
• Sleepiness
• Breathing difficulty
• Seizures

What you can do

Protection is the best form of pet care. That means choosing a pet-friendly alarm system that includes smoke, carbon monoxide and natural gas detectors.

ADT offer such a system. If carbon monoxide is detected, we’ll know about it. Then we’ll contact you and your keyholders so you can act quickly to ensure your pet is safe.