16 • Community Advocate •
Summer Guide • Friday, May 20, 2011
Preparing for the dog days of summer
Courtesy of Gibson Kennels
PHOTO/SUBMITTED
Summer is a great time to spend with your dog. The weather is perfect for hiking, swimming, jogging and biking. All of which are good ways for you and your dog to stay in shape and be healthy. But there are summer dangers for your pet as well. Overheating, fleas and ticks, and Giardia, just to name a few. Overheating can be extremely dangerous to any dog. Dogs can overheat on normal walks or even faster, if left in the car. To prevent overheating, take along lots of water on walks, avoid the hottest hours of the day, take shorter strolls, and NEVER leave a dog in a car alone, even with the windows open. A car can heat up to a lethal temperature in minutes. Fleas and ticks are around all year but thrive in the summer. They have many life stages and need a meal of blood to move through their development. Ticks climb up grass and plants and seek out their prey. Tick’s spread Lyme Disease. Flea bites can cause skin disorders,
Two “friends” relax while enjoying each other’s company.
Giardia is found in soil, food or water that has been contaminated with feces from infected humans or animals. That’s why it’s important to pick up after dogs and to have them play in clean well-kept areas. Giardia infections can interfere with the absorption of food and produce feces that are soft, light-colored and greasy. Since diarrhea is a common symptom of intestinal infection, causes such as Salmonella and Campylobacter
infections and allergies. Fleas also spread diseases such as Tapeworms, Tularemia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Q fever. Bite prevention is the key to staying healthy. There are many products on the market ranging in price and protection levels. Ask your vet what is best for your dog. Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal illness known as giardiasis.
are generally ruled out before testing for Giardia is done. Because Giardia crosses species and can also infect people, sanitation is important when caring for dogs. Kennel workers and pet owners alike should be sure to wash hands after cleaning dog runs or removing feces from yards. Babies and toddlers should be kept away from dogs with diarrhea. When traveling, owners should prevent pets from drinking
potentially infected water in streams, ponds or swamps and, if possible, avoid public areas polluted with feces. Picking up and disposing of dog feces in the proper receptacle will cut down on the spread of these illnesses. Antifreeze poisoning is one of the most common forms of poisoning in small animals because it is so commonly found in households. Antifreeze poisoning typically occurs when antifreeze drips from a car’s radiator, where it is licked off the ground and ingested by a pet. It does not take a significant amount of ethylene glycol to cause fatal damage; less than three ounces of antifreeze is sufficient to poison a medium-sized dog. Antifreeze poisoning affects the brain, liver and kidneys. Chocolate is another item that can be fatal to dogs. The good news is that it takes on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/ kg to cause a toxic reaction. So while enjoying the dog days of summer, make sure to keep your dog safe.
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