New Health Blog Post: Pet Tips for Summer Fun and Water Safety for Dogs
Proverbs 12:10
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
Commentary
We have several articles on pets in this post because May is National Pet Month, and it’s also the beginning of the summer season. Pets have some unique needs related to this time of year that are worth reviewing and remembering. Happy summer season to everyone (and their pets)!
Be sure to see our previous post on a very crucial topic: PET HEALTH: Dogs and Cars
God bless you.
Go to Health Blog
Pet Tips for Summer Fun and Water Safety for Dogs
There are 7 new articles on fun and safety for you and your pets in the Summertime. Two are highlighted below:
Pet Health
Audie heading back to shore with his ball; like all retrievers, he loves to swim and fetch
10 Warm-Weather Survival Tips for Your Pet This is a helpful article with lots of reminders and tips for pet safety in the summer.
BTW, living beside a lake, Audie has his own life-preserver to wear when we go boating, one which is made specifically for dogs. Make certain your dog has one also if he’s going into deep water, even if he’ll be on a boat. While dogs usually can swim, no dog can last forever in waves or if they’re far from shore and there’s an accident! Make sure you buy the right size so that it fits snugly and can’t slip off.
“Summer is just around the corner and with the warmer weather, folks will be spending more time outdoors. So will their pets, and this can present many health hazards for our four-legged friends.
“We see more emergency veterinary visits as the hotter weather approaches because pets haven’t become acclimatized to the heat and their owners may be more laid back about keeping tabs on their four-legged charges,” Dr. Deborah Mandell, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and a staff member at Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
She tells Newsmax Health the following 10 ways to safeguard your pet:
Never leave your pet in a parked car The interior temperature can rise to above 120 degrees in minutes causing potentially deadly heat stroke. “Heavy panting, brick red gums, drooling, and accelerated heart rate are some of the symptoms of heat stroke,” says Mandell.
They may become unsteady on their feet and collapse and have seizures.” Cool any overheated pet immediately using bags on ice on their bellies, pads and top of the nose. Use a cool garden hose and bring the animal immediately to the vet to determine if there has been any internal damage to the organs.
Use sunscreen
Do not exercise in the heat
Practice water safety Always use a lifejacket when boating. The incidence of drowning definitely increases in the summer months, says Mandell. Owners sometimes take their pets to lakes and oceans and presume they will be able to swim against rough currents. Never leave a dog unsupervised in your swimming pool. Make sure the pet knows how to exit safely and install pet-friendly ramps if necessary.
Avoid “high-rise syndrome” Owners open the windows in summer and curious pets may push out the screen and leap out the window to an unfortunate fall. Secure screens and never leave your pet alone on the balcony.
Use flea and tick protection
Use caution at picnics Mandell says one of the most common veterinary surgical emergencies during the summer months is caused by dogs swallowing corn on the cob. “The cobs get stuck in their throat and that’s potentially deadly,” she explains. Make sure others do not feed your dog picnic food.
Guard your garden Azaleas can be toxic to both dogs and cats if ingested. The pollen from lilies can also cause acute kidney failure in cats and ingesting just two of their leaves may be fatal. Lock up plant food containing insecticides
Stay clear of fireworks
Consider a pet safety app The American Red Cross offers a downloadable Pet First Aid App that offers essential information on pet health and safety. The free app contains features that help pet owners identify danger signs in their pet’s health or behavior. It also offers a “click to call” feature to contact their veterinarian and include items that should be a part of your emergency first aid kit.”
Myron (top) and his siblings as kittens. They’re now 3 years old and big enough to snatch tomatoes…
Fruits & Vegetables Dogs (and Cats) Can and Can’t Eat There’s an absolutely delightful video on this page that you’ll want to see. It’s one of Audie’s favorites because it features a young golden retriever with his favorite fruits and veggies.
As an owner, this is a page you’ll want to bookmark because we’re coming into the season where fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful. While most are safe, there are a few entries on the list that you absolutely need to know. These include: grapes/raisins, avocados, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, cherries (which have pits containing cyanide) and tomatoes (because of stems and leaves, which are toxic).
I can attest to the the importance of this info for both dogs and cats. Last week I caught my cat Myron with the second of two ripe tomatoes he’d stolen from the counter. After a heated chase around the house, I finally wrenched the shreds from him and quickly called the vet. Although he said the fruit itself isn’t poisonous, it definitely would upset a cat’s stomach. He was right; in his discomfort for the next day or so, Myron never made the litter box quickly enough.
Many animals love fruits and veggies – my last golden, Zoe, would do anything for apples. Fortunately, except for the seeds, they’re completely safe.
“As dog owners, it’s not uncommon to want to spoil your four-legged family members by sharing table scraps or your favorite snack with them. After all, if it is safe for you to eat, it must be OK for them as well, right? Not necessarily. While many human foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are perfectly safe, some are very unhealthy and downright dangerous to dogs. Dogs digest differently than humans, and eating the wrong foods can lead to long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, even death. As carnivores, they have no need for fruits and vegetables as part of their diet, but an occasional fruit or veggie as a treat is OK.
But that doesn’t mean all human food is off limits for dogs. Read below to find out which fruits and vegetables are OK for sharing in moderation and which should be kept on your plate.”
