Summer

SUMMER PET SAFTEY

I hope this finds your family and pet families enjoying the summer with, vacations, picnics, sports, and backyard parties, or whatever else your family finds fun and relaxing as well.

 I received a wonderful pet newsletter this week and decided to share some of these very important points with you.

Heatstroke and Heat Exhaustion  These can result in brain damage, heart failure or even death in a very short period of time.  To cool off an overheated dog, offer him plenty of water, wet the dog's body, especially his tummy area, and paws with cool water, and then fan.

 Traveling in Cars   Leaving your dog in a parked car in the summer-anytime above 72 degrees, even with the window open can result in heatstroke within minutes.  (I actually knew of someone that this happened to, while she was in the grocery store, her best furry  friends of many years, were dead when she cam back.) This is preventable.

 Pickup Trucks  This is one of my huge concerns.  Never allow your dog to ride in the back of an open pickup truck, unless he is safely secured by a padded harness to the center of the pickup truck "bed" with specially designed tethers.  Many people tell me, "Oh, he/she would never jump out."  What if you are rear-ended??  Guess who is left hitting the street only to be possibly hit by a car or truck??  The bed of a pickup truck can get hot enough to seriously burn your dog's pads.

 Vacations  Always make sure to use a trusted pet sitter.  Many animals escape and try to find their owners when they live for vacation.  Make sure you have Current ID tags on your pet.  Make sure your pet sitter has at least two phone numbers where you can be reached, as well as your veterinian's phone number, and the local animal shelter's phone number.

Water Safety  Not all dogs can swim and all pets are at risk around  swimming pools and other bodies of water when unsupervised.  Have them leashed with you at all times, and dog life jackets are available through most sporting good stores or online.  (I have one, they work great!)  Never take your pet to the beach without providing plenty of fresh water and a shaded spot for them to rest.  Always rinse your pets off when they have been in salt water.

 Chemicals  Avoid walking your dog in areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals, as poisonings increase in the summer when gardens, lawns and trees are sprayed.  For example,  I see people all the time walking there dogs on golf courses, do you know how many chemicals it takes to keep those fairways and the course landscape beautiful and well manicured??  More than we would like to think about.

Outside Pets  Always provide plenty of fresh, cool water as well as shade for your outdoor pet.  Bring your pets inside during the heat of the day and let them rest on the cool floor.  NEVER tie your dog up outside on a choke chain, they could choke to death.

 Grooming   A clean coat can help to prevent summer skin problems.  If he or she has a heavy coat, you can shave them to a 1" length (7 blade).  Don't shave him down to the skin; this robs him of protection from the sun, and biting insects.

 July 4th Fireworks   Many pets escape when they hear fireworks.  Crating a pet during fireworks is the safest solution.  You can also play music or one of my tricks is, a peanut butter and chamomile tea (loose dried leaves) sandwich.  Helps calm the nerves.  I used to have a Saint Bernard that was scared to death of loud noises, and this seemed to help.  A Saint in your lap for any length of time can become uncomfortable!!

 Spaying and Neutering   There are more benefits to your pet's health to have them spayed or neutered.  Not to mention a quick trip to your local animal shelter where over half of the pets that go in do not find their forever homes and are put down due to over-crowding. Bottom line -JUST DO IT!!

 I hope you have found this letter informative and will pass on this information to other pet owners that you know.

Have a wonderful and safe summer!

Thank you for trusting your pets with our care,

Kim and the Zoo Crew