A Dogs’ View on Fireworks

Fourth of July is right around the corner, a great time for family and friends to get together and have some fun. Our dogs; however, do not share the same excitement we do. The sounds and smells associated with this holiday can bombard our pets’ senses. Most dog owners are aware that their dogs hate fireworks. The loud booms, the bright flashes, and the extreme odors will make even the bravest and loyal dog run for cover. What can we do as dog owners to help make sure we keep them safe and comfortable during the festivities? July 1^st is National ID your pet day. Make sure they have current and secure ID tags that contain name, address, telephone numbers, rabies tag, and microchip identification.  Microchips are invaluable if your dog does get lose, even if they slip their collar, the microchip can be scanned by any local SPCA or Veterinarian to help you reunite with them. July 5^th is the busiest day for most animal shelters. The number of lost pets increases by about 30% from July 4^th – July 6^th. Make sure you have emergency contact numbers handy such as the local SPCA, your Veterinarian, and poison control. None of us want our dogs to get lose, and there are steps we can take to help prevent that from happening. First and foremost, try to keep them inside and safe when the fireworks start. Do not take your dog to a firework display because you think they will enjoy the social gathering, they will not. A dog that is normally happy and content in their backyard will quickly show you their true colors and easily hop a fence or scurry under a gate when they get frightened. Even safely inside with their owners, their keen sense of hearing will make what we hear as a loud pop and crackle, sound like a bomb exploding. If your dog is crate trained, they already have a comfort zone, or den, where they can take cover when they feel scared. If you don’t have a crate, try to create a small comfort zone for them consisting of some comfortable blankets, a few of their favorite toys, and even a shirt or pair of sweatpants that smells like you. Like a child with their blanky, dogs find comfort in the things that are familiar to them. Best case scenario, we are able to stay home during the fireworks and keep our dogs entertained and distracted, but we all work hard and need time to go out and enjoy ourselves. If you do go out, you can help muffle the noise while you are gone by turning on a TV or radio before you leave. If you already know your dog is terrified of fireworks, reach out to your Vet prior to the holiday to discuss possible medications to help reduce their anxiety, but remember to never give your dog any medication before consulting with a professional. With a little time and forethought, we can all have a safe and festive 4^th of July.

Summer Heat Guide for Dogs

 

HELLO SUMMER!!! It’s that time of year when we all want to spend quality time with our dog, outside, in the sun. Nothing better than getting out and enjoying the warm weather with our 4 legged buddies. However, we do need to be careful and think ahead before playtime outside, especially playtime which involves a car ride to the park or down to the lake. Let’s start with the car. The inside of a car can be extremely dangerous and even deadly for a dog. I want to share a few facts that will give you an idea of how hot it can get inside of a car. Please keep in mind that cracking the windows in your car will not change how hot it can get. For example, I will use 90° F as a baseline for this evaluation, as for most places in the world, a temperature of 90° F for a summer day can be pretty common. Let’s see what happens to the inside of car at this temperature. Within a matter of 10 minutes, that seemingly safe temperature can rise almost 20° F, to nearly 110° F. After 20 minutes, the temperature has risen another 10° F to a deadly 120° F. At this point, even a quick stop at Walmart for a snack on your way to the dog park is enough to induce hyperthermia (heat stroke) in your dog. What is heat stroke? Heat stroke is caused when the core body temperature of a dog reaches 106° F. FYI, normally body temperature for a dog is around 101.5° F, so it does not take much of a change in temperature to introduce a very dangerous situation. In short, please do not ever leave your dog in the car when it’s hot outside. As a rule of thumb, if you would not leave a child in the car, don’t leave your dog. How can you tell if your dog is experiencing heat stroke? There are several quick and easy signs that they are in trouble. Panting with excessive drooling, reddening of the gums, fast and/or abnormal heart beat and respiration, wobbling and loss of coordination and possibly loss of consciousness are all telltale signs something is wrong. Some breeds of dogs are more susceptible to heat stroke than others, such as long, thick coat breeds, and short nosed, flat faced breeds. Please take extra caution with these breeds when heading out in the summer. There are several things you as a dog owner can do if you feel your dog may be suffering from heat stroke. First and foremost, get them to a Veterinarian as soon as possible. There are; however, things you can do immediately, and on your way to the Vet that may just save your dog’s life. Anybody’s first reaction when they hear heat stroke is to cool the dog down as quickly as possibly, but cooling the body too fast can be very dangerous and even deadly. You can safely lower their temperature by spraying them with cool water or immersing them in cool, not ice cold, water. You can also wrap them in cool, wet towels and use fans to aid in the cooling process. Be careful not to lower their temperature too rapidly or too far. Monitor their temperature during the cooling process using a rectal thermometer, and when the temperature drops below 103° F, remove all cooling mechanisms and allow the dogs body to naturally cool from there. Never force them to drink, but you can offer them cool water, never ice water, and allow them to drink if they are able. If you have access to isopropyl alcohol, you can help cool them by gently wiping the alcohol on the pads of their feet, their groin area, and under their forelegs. Most importantly, get them to a Veterinarian as soon as possible for evaluation and care, as they have many more options at their disposal for safely treating heat stroke, such as IV fluids, electric cooling mats, and monitoring. Also remember that leather seats, metal belt buckles, and handles get extremely hot in a car, so please make sure these surfaces are safely covered to prevent burns. Besides the heat produced in the car, just having your dog out for a walk on a hot, sunny day, can introduce some dangerous conditions. Black top and cement can get very hot when exposed to the sun during the peak days of summer. Again, assuming an outside temperature of around 90° F, black top can reach a whopping 160° F and cement around 150° F when exposed to the sun during the day. Imagine yourself walking barefoot on these surfaces. Point is, you wouldn’t. You would burn and blister the bottoms of your feet within 10 minutes, and the same is true for your dog. Always try to walk them in the shade and on soft grassy surfaces, or in the early morning, or after sunset. One last thing to be mindful of during and after your walk, is during the summer, grass and weeds can die and dry out making them very sharp and almost needle-like. Be mindful of where you are walking your dog and check their paws and pads for any scrapes, burns, and imbedded grass. After anytime outside, especially in the summer, be sure to check your dog thoroughly for ticks when you get home. Have fun, be safe, and most importantly, enjoy the time you spend outdoors with your dog. They will love you for it.

NexGard® Overview – Chewable Flea and Tick Preventative for Dogs

It's that time of year, so let's talk about fleas and ticks. Most of us ‘Dog Owners’ are fairly familiar with the most popular topical flea and tick preventatives for dogs, such as FRONTLINE® Plus and K9 Advantix® II. Both of these products do an excellent job in controlling fleas and ticks on dogs, and each has their own pros and cons. I will discuss both of these products and their effectiveness in more detail in the future. For now, I want to focus on one of the newest ‘Chewable’ flea and tick preventatives on the market for dogs, NexGard®. For several years, dog owners have been requesting drug companies to formulate an effective and safe, chewable, flea and tick product. Thank you Merial, the trusted maker of FRONTLINE®, for bringing us NexGard. However, unlike the FRONTLINE group, NexGard is solely formulated for dogs. I want to make that point very clear that NexGard may NOT be given to cats. NexGard is a soft, beef flavored chew that is, of course, FDA approved. Dogs really do enjoy the taste, and most will take the chew as a treat, without having to hide it in cheese or peanut butter, although a little peanut butter or cheese will never hurt. After your dog eats the chew, you will find a 100% kill rate of any adult fleas that are on your dog within 24 hours, and it will continue to kill adult fleas before they can lay eggs, for a full 30 days, hence treating and preventing flea infestations. Not only is NexGard effective in controlling fleas, which are the leading cause of heartworm disease, it also kills several species of tick, including the Black-legged deer tick, which is the carrier of Lyme disease. NexGard may be given at any time of year to any healthy dog or puppy 8 weeks or older and weighing at least 4 lbs. Although several areas of the world experience a freeze during their winter months, it is my recommendation to use a flea and tick preventative, regardless of the brand, year round, as fleas and ticks can survive in most indoor environments all year. Trust me on this, all veterinarians, at least in the states, see flea related issues such as flea bite dermatitis and tapeworm year round. Most dog owners do not associate an internal parasite, such as tapeworm, with an external parasite, like fleas. News Flash, dogs acquire tapeworms by eating a flea. Therefore, if your dog has tapeworms, there has been at least one flea on them in the past that they decided looked like a nice snack and ate it. Don’t fret, tapeworms are very easily treated in dogs, but we will talk more about that later. Just like any over the counter or prescription medication, NexGard may cause some side effects such as vomiting, lack of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, and dry or flaky skin. If your dog has a history of seizures, is pregnant or lactating or has any major medical issues, please consult with your veterinarian before using any flea and tick preventative. You will hear me say this many times, but it is very important. Before giving anything to your dog make sure you always weigh the benefit against the risk. I would much rather deal with a few fleas and a tick here and there, then induce seizures in my epileptic dog. I hope this sheds a little light on the benefits and effectiveness of a chewable flea and tick preventative.

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to AboutAPet. The purpose of this blog is to help inform, entertain, and of course, educate the pet lovers of the world. Our pets are part of our families and deserve and require our 100% dedication to their health and well-being. I decided to start this blog after I spent countless hours searching the internet for current and accurate information regarding pet husbandry. Husbandry is defined as the care, and welfare of domestic animals. Obviously, anyone can put anything on the internet, and the amount of false and inaccurate information regarding the care and welfare of dogs, cats and exotics as pets was staggering. Let me first state that I am NOT a doctor or a Veterinarian; however, I have been a Veterinary Technician for over 15 years. I have spent time at full service dog and cat veterinary practices as well as 5 years as a lead Veterinary Technician for an Avian and Exotics Veterinarian. I was also the Lead Surgery Technician for a high volume, high quality spay and neuter clinic. Along with my work experience, I have also volunteered for several years at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden NJ and several of my local SPCA’s, as well as obtaining my Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology from Harcum College in Bryn Mawr PA. I will be covering topics on a weekly basis that will provide the information needs and request of my followers. You are welcome to follow my Twitter feed @AAboutAPet and suggest future blog post topics. My goal is to lead this blog in the direction of its followers so I can provide needed and desired information to the general public. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and making this world a happier and healthier place for all of our pets.  

@AAboutAPet

Just starting here on Blogger, and I want to first introduce myself. I am an animal care specialist with over 15 years experience in proper animal husbandry for dogs, cats, and all exotics. My Twitter feed, which is the title of my first entry, will act a baseline for most of the content that will be displayed here. During the first week, I will be learning Twitter and Blogger, and experimenting with the best platforms for sharing my wealth of knowledge with the animal lovers of the World. Please be patient and I promise you will be rewarded with a limitless supply of expert advice on the latest and greatest pet husbandry techniques.