Seasonal Allergies for Pets

The spring season is upon us, and while we may be experiencing seasonal allergies, it’s important to note that our pets may be as well! In our pets, seasonal allergies look a little different. We may have headaches, coughs, and runny noses, but our pets have different symptoms. They may have itchy ears and skin.

If you notice your pet shaking their head excessively or scratching their skin a lot this season, we recommend contacting us right away for advice. We have options for helping pets that are experiencing uncomfortable seasonal allergies. Ask us today! 

Seasonal Allergies for Pets

The spring season is upon us, and while we may be experiencing seasonal allergies, it’s important to note that our pets may be as well! In our pets, seasonal allergies look a little different. We may have headaches, coughs, and runny noses, but our pets have different symptoms. They may have itchy ears and skin.

If you notice your pet shaking their head excessively or scratching their skin a lot this season, we recommend contacting us right away for advice. We have options for helping pets that are experiencing uncomfortable seasonal allergies. Ask us today! 

Tips on How to Prepare Your Pet for Severe Weather

If faced with sudden disaster, would you be prepared to help your entire family – including pets – prevent dangerous situations? 

Here are some tips to help you better prepare your pet for severe weather:

·         Identifying shelter. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate  to allow pets. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers. They might be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster.

·     

    Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, manual can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they're not available later. Before you find yourself in an emergency situation, consider packing a "pet survival" kit which could be easily deployed if disaster hits.

Make sure identification tags are up-to-date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home.

Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.

Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.

Why Spay and Neuter?

Spaying and neutering pets is a very simple, but also very important procedure. If your pet is not going to be used for breeding, we recommend spaying or neutering as early as possible. Not only does this procedure eliminate the risk of unwanted litters, it also helps to prolong your pet’s life by minimizing the risks of a number of health conditions!

In female pets, spaying lessens the threat of mammary tumors and cancer and ultimately eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancers. In male pets, neutering eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and decreases the odds of prostate cancer.

Additionally, spaying or neutering your pet eliminates a lot of negative behaviors. Female pets will no longer enter a heat cycle or attempt to escape in hopes of procreating, and male pets will become more contented house pets, not out seeking females throughout the neighborhood. 

This tendency to roam can cause a lot of problems, such as danger in the roads (males seeking females are a lot more likely to be hit by cars!) and dog fights (males seeking the same female often fight to determine the winner).

Spaying and neutering can be done early in a pet’s life. We recommend for females it is performed before they have had their first heat cycle.

Winter safety tips

General Concerns

   Winter's cold air brings many concerns for responsible dog owners. Keep the following precautions in mind:

• Don't leave your dog outside in the cold for long periods of time. Wind chill makes days colder than actual temperature readings. Be attentive to your dog's body temperature, and limit its time outdoors.
• Adequate shelter is a necessity. Keep your dog warm, dry and away from drafts. Tiles and uncarpeted areas may become extremely cold, so make sure to place blankets and pads on floors in these areas.
• Be extra careful when walking or playing with your dog near frozen lakes, rivers or ponds. Your dog could slip or jump in and get seriously injured.
• Groom your dog regularly. Your dog needs a well-groomed coat to keep properly insulated. Short- or coarse-haired dogs may get extra cold, so consider a sweater or coat. Long-haired dogs should have excess hair around the toes and foot pads trimmed to ease snow removal and cleaning. If you do the trimming, take care not to cut the pads or other delicate area of the foot.
• Feed your dog additional calories if it spends a lot of time outdoors or is a working animal. It takes more energy in the winter to keep body temperature regulated, so additional calories are necessary.
• Towel or blow-dry your dog if it gets wet from rain or snow. It is important to dry and clean its paws, too. This helps avoid tiny cuts and cracked pads. A little petroleum jelly may soften the pads and prevent further cracking.
• Don't leave your dog alone in a car without proper precautions. If the car engine is left on, the carbon monoxide will endanger your dog's life. If the engine is off, the temperature in the car will get too cold.

              

                                                                                           

Health Tips

Dogs cannot talk to us when they are sick. As a responsible dog owner, it is important to pay special attention to your dog's well-being during the winter season. Remember the following health concerns:

• Antifreeze, which often collects on driveways and roadways, is highly poisonous. Although it smells and tastes good to your dog, it can be lethal.
• Rock salt, used to melt ice on sidewalks, may irritate footpads. Be sure to rinse and dry your dog's feet after a walk.
• Provide plenty of fresh water. Your dog is just as likely to get dehydrated in the winter as in the summer. Snow is not a satisfactory substitute for water.
• Frostbite is your dog's winter hazard. To prevent frostbite on its ears, tail and feet, don't leave your dog outdoors for too long.
• Be very careful of supplemental heat sources. Fireplaces and portable heaters can severely burn your dog. Make sure all fireplaces have screens, and keep portable heaters out of reach.
• Like people, dogs seem to be more susceptible to illness in the winter. Take your dog to a veterinarian if you see any suspicious symptoms.
• Don't use over-the-counter medications on your dog without consulting a veterinarian.

Published in http://www.akc.org