We are now officially in autumn – the season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’.

But it’s also a season that has sone hidden natural dangers for pets, and here is a timely reminder of what to look out for as a dog or cat owner.

As the autumn leaves begin to fall, so do the fruits of the oak and horse-chestnut trees – namely acorns and conkers.

These small nuts contain poisonous chemicals that, if ingested in sufficient quantities, could prove fatal.

They can cause renal failure in dogs and cats and, at the very least, will compromise gastrointestinal health

Curiously, conkers are also poisonous for horses despite being from a horse-chestnut tree.

Mushrooms are also a potential poisoning hazard, particularly at this time of year when most species of mushrooms and toadstools spring up in our gardens and plantations. There are more than 4,000 species of fungi in the UK and the vast majority are not poisonous, but some definitely are and the most hazardous have suitably sinister names such as destroying angel, funeral bell and death cap.

Play it safe and remove any mushrooms that may be growing in your garden, particularly if you have an inquisitive or greedy dog that will eat anything it comes across.

And when you’re out for a walk in wooded areas watch out for mushrooms growing in the darker, damper areas; and don’t let your dog explore them.

These articles regularly warn about the dangers of ticks and the potentially fatal diseases they can transmit, and they still present a problem in the autumn months.

Fleas are also very prevalent in September, and so make sure you keep up with your preventative treatments, be they ‘spot-ons’ or tablets.

And regularly check your pet for unwanted parasites.

If you do notice a tick on your pet (hot spots are between their toes, and on and in their ears) don’t try to remove it by pinching or squeezing it, which may result in the tick’s head being left in the skin.

This can push blood back into your pet which will increase the chances of them getting infected.

Ideally, you should use a tick removal tool, and don’t try to burn ticks off, or use Vaseline or nail polish to suffocate them, or alcohol to poison them – all ‘urban myths’ which run the risk of making a bacterial infection more likely.

Not all autumnal dangers are natural, and some man-made ones are more obvious than others.

This is the time of year when people start to worry about mice and rats coming into their homes, and most pet owners will be only too aware of the poisonous properties of rodenticides.

If rodent control is absolutely necessary, then a safer method is to use spring traps that placed out of the reach of pets, and regularly checked.

As the nights draw in, it’s tempting to light candles and burn scented oils to create a cosy atmosphere, but most pet owners will be unaware that the resultant fumes can cause inflammation of a dog’s airways, or trigger asthma in cats.

The Animal Poison Line telephone number – 01202 509000 - is worth keeping to-hand or logged into your mobile phone.

It could save your pet’s life.

The most common signs of poisoning are an animal with one or more of the following: upset stomach, vomiting, excessive drooling, watery/yellowish eyes, lethargy and seizures.

And remember to keep a sample of what you think your pet has ingested or inhaled because this may help with a diagnosis.

Whilst pets can be a source of anxiety, they more than make up for it by being fabulous companions.

Three-year-old border collie Buddy is looking for the opportunity to prove that he can be just that, and more.

He’s is a typical collie – he chases wheels, he loves to play, and he’s super bouncy. He likes other dogs but isn’t so fond of small animals, and he would be best suited to a new home with adults and older children.