Pet Care

DR. DANA VAMVAKIAS VANGUARD VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Q

How do I get my pooch ready for the fall?

ALike many of you, I look forward to the cooling temperatures and dropping humidity. It is a wonderful time to get out there and do some much needed walking and exercise, and taking your dog for a walk is a great idea.

A few things to remember if you are trying to exercise your dog: keep the leash shorter than

you do for a walk and your steps at a pace that the dog must keep their head up and body moving forward. True exercising is not just a potty break and sniffing session. Keep their head up and steps forward and try not to overdo it for the older pets or those with mobility issues.

Next, the fall brings out more mushrooms, and although most are harmless, we have a few that can cause some gastrointestinal issues if eaten by your dog, so try to watch where they are and what they are eating.

As the weather cools, we have wildlife changes as well. Snakes, especially our copperheads, are starting to prepare for the mating season and will be moving around more than they did in the summer. Also, if the snakes bred in the spring, there will be fall babies moving in leaves and pathways. In general, the summer makes these snakes more nocturnal, but the fall will have them out and about during the day. If your pet is showing too much interest in an area of the yard or under a certain bush or woodpile, it may be a visiting snake.

Copperheads are just one of the venomous snakes in the area but it is a snake we tend to deal with the most when it comes to biting our inquisitive pets. The bites can be harmful, but in most cases not fatal. They usually occur on the pet’s face or legs, and they will have a fast and painful swelling to the area, but sometimes no visible bite marks (depends on the size of the snake).

Please seek out your local veterinarian with any bites to ensure it does not progress to a more life-threatening situation.

Fall also means Halloween, and normally I would address the impact of wearing of costumes and masks on dogs. If your dog has been witnessing people during the pandemic, however, there is a good chance they have been exposed to people in masks.

Masks can be confusing for dogs because they aren’t able to pick up on facial changes and scents from people, but they may have become tolerant to the look. Halloween costumes and masks are even more challenging because adults and children have distorted shapes, movements and looks. Please be sensitive to these stressors and put your pet in a secure location during parties or activities that have a lot of people in costumes.

Lastly, secure the candy. Dogs will eat it and most will end up with a visit to the veterinarian due to vomiting and diarrhea. It is preventable if everyone in the family stays vigilant and places candy out of reach from pets.

Be safe and enjoy this fall with your pets!

SP

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