Cold Weather Safety Tips

The mercury is dropping and that can bring on some new hazards for our pets. During the cold weather months, veterinarians and animal hospitals around the country see an increasing number of pet emergencies brought on by the harsh weather. Here are some tips from the ASPCA on how to minimize pet emergencies during cold weather.

*Monitor the time the pet spends outdoors. The family dog needs to go outside regularly, but should not spend an extended period outdoors when the weather is cold. When the dog lets you know they are cold, let them right back inside. Avoid letting the dog get chilled. When it snows out, the dog's legs are directly in the cold snow. Their legs can stiffen quickly, making it difficult to walk, especially as they age.

*When outdoors with your pet, be aware of signs that signify they are having problems with the cold. These include shivering, whining, appearing anxious, seeking out warm places and moving slow or not at all. Signs of hypothermia are shivering, lethargy and weakness. If any of these signs occur, wrap your pet in warm blankets and get to the veterinarian or animal hospital immediately.

* If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness, or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve him.

* Keep your cat inside. In the cold outdoors, cats are at risk for freezing to death.

* Cats seek shelter in places that provide protection from the elements, including car engines. Before starting your car, loudly bang on its hood to give any outdoor cat that may be sleeping there a chance to escape. Cats can be injured or killed by the fan belt if they are under the hood of a car.

* Keep your dog leashed on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm, and be sure I.D. tags are on. Dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost.

* Wipe your pet's legs and stomach thoroughly after coming in from snow, sleet, or ice. Cats and dogs, in particular, can ingest salt, antifreeze, or other chemicals while licking their paws. In addition, paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

* If you have a short-haired dog, consider a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck that covers the dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath.

*Never leave your dog or cat alone in the car during cold weather. Since a car holds in the cold, your pet can freeze to death.

* Puppies are not as tolerant to the cold as adult dogs. If you're trying to housebreak your puppy during the winter, it may be best to paper train inside if he appears to be sensitive to the weather.

*Antifreeze and coolant are lethal for dogs and cats. If antifreeze or coolant leaks or spills from your vehicle be sure to clean it up thoroughly. As an alternative, pet owners should consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.

*Keep alert for signs of frostbite. If you see ice crystals forming on your pet’s ears, paws, or tail, bring the animals indoors and soak these areas in warm water for about 20 minutes or until the ice crystals melt. Then wrap your pet in warm blankets and call your veterinarian. The doctor will access the damage of the frostbite and arrange for appropriate treatment.

*If your dog spends a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities, increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep his fur thick and healthy.

*During the winter, leave your dog’s coat longer for more warmth.

*When you bathe your dog, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk on cold days.

*Provide your pet with a warm place to sleep away from all drafts and the cold floor. Some options are a dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow in it.

*Remember if you’re feeling the extreme cold all bundled up, so is your pet. However, they don’t have the luxury of a winter coat, wool hat, scarf, mittens, and ear muffs, so try to keep your pet inside as much as you can on frigid days.

Christmas Safety

Christmas can be a fun and festive time of year, but before you celebrate there are some things you need to watch out for around your house to help make sure Fido has a fun and safe holiday season as well.

Oh Christmas Tree

Before you bring home your Christmas tree here are a few things you should remember.

Do not use chemicals in your tree’s water. It might help to keep your tree fresh longer, but it could be very harmful if your pet drinks the water. There may also be pine needles that fall into the water that could get lodged in your dog’s throat if he tries to drink out of the tree stand. The best way to prevent this is to have a tight fitting tree skirt that fits over the tree stand and to make sure that your pet always has fresh water in his bowl.

When decorating the tree make sure to place your cherished ornaments higher up on the tree. Either leave the lower branches empty or use wooden, metal, or resin-cast ornaments in case your dogs decide to play with the colorful ornaments. Tinsel is not a good idea because your dog may accidentally swallow and choke on the tiny strings. Also, using popcorn or other food items to decorate your tree may lead to your dog knocking down the tree trying to get to the food and the dog could also choke on the string.

Taping the electrical cords from the tree lights or from any electric window displays is a great way to make sure no one trips on them and that your pup does not play or chew on them. You don’t want Fido to get electrocuted.

Holiday Feast

After you have had your fill of the holiday turkey, ham, or roast make sure that all the bones are thrown away and not given to the dog. Bones can splinter and cause serious damage to your pet’s throat and intestines or may even cause your dog to choke.

You may want to give your pup a few bites off your plate as a treat, but it is not a good idea. Many of our dishes are rich and high-fat that can upset their stomach. Also, many of our traditional holiday dishes contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs such as onions and chocolate. Also make sure that your guests know not to feed your pet as well.

Poisonous Plants

Many of the holiday plants are poisonous to our dogs and cats. The list includes poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, and amaryllis. If these plants are ingested by your pet they may cause diarrhea, vomiting or other serious health problems. If you bring these plants home make sure they are out of your pet’s reach.

Gift Time

After you have opened your gifts, quickly clean up all of the wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. Your dog could easily choke on these items.

Before all the festivities began, make sure your pets have a quiet, safe spot where they can rest and be alone if they get too overwhelmed with all the people and excitement.

No Scaredy Cats This Halloween: Safety Tips for Pet Parents

www.aspca.org

Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to point out these common-sense cautions that'll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.

• Chocolate in all forms-especially dark or baking chocolate-can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate-and even seizures.
• Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.
• Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets that prefer their "birthday suits," however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au natural or donning a festive bandana.

7. Take a closer look at your pet's costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you

11. Keep all cats, especially black cats inside on Halloween night.

12. Everyone loves dressing up for Halloween, but to a dog you may not look like a person at all. Many dogs will react with fear or aggression if they are approached by a child or adult dress in a costume.  So you might want to leave your dog inside at home on Halloween.

13. When walking your dog during or after Halloween, watch them carefully so they don't pick anything up that they could choke on. Pieces of candy and wrappers will be all around the sidewalks and streets.  It is better to walk your dog before the trick-or-treating starts.

Canine influenza (Dog Flu) is a highly contagious respiratory infection of dogs caused by a novel influenza virus that is believed to have occurred in racing greyhounds in 2004.  The virus is a mutated form of the Equine (horse) flu.  Many specialized veterinarians believe the virus mutated due to over and improper use of the vaccine developed for the equine virus.  This is one of the few viruses that have "jumped" species, going from equine to canine.  At present there is no evidence to show that dogs can infect humans.

The dog days of summer are approaching and you can tell by the sparkle in Fido’s eyes that he can’t wait to get outdoors to run, swim, hike, and enjoy all the other great outdoor activities. Before you grab Fido’s leash and head outdoors there are a few safety tips regarding the summer heat for you to think about while you two are having fun in the sun.

Our dogs depend on us to put food in their bowls. And, more often than not, we are putting in too much! A leading veterinarian has been accessing the weight on hundreds of dogs of a variety of breeds over the past year at seminars all over the country. His report indicates that by conservative estimate about 50% of the dogs seen were overweight and about one half of those were actually obese. These were not couch potato dogs. These were dogs whose owners expect them to jump in obedience, to run over rough ground in retrieving tests, and to perform in agility. Unfortunately, we are seeing the sad results in an increase in ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments (often both legs), severe degenerative arthritis in dogs in their prime, degenerative disk disease, and many more conditions that are caused by, or exacerbated by, excess weight.