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The Heat and Your Pet

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The Heat and Your Pet

 

With summer just starting and the heat not giving up you don’t want to spend your days on the hot pavement in the sweltering sun, right? Of course not and neither does your pet. Here are some tips to keeping your pet cool when the temps are up.

 

  1. Check the pavement. When you first go outside to walk your pooch, feel the pavement. If you wouldn’t go barefoot because the blacktop is too hot, your dog shouldn’t either. Try to keep the blacktop/concrete in a minimum and stick to grassy areas.
  2. Make sure your cooling your pet inside and out. If your pet likes water, perhaps invest in a kiddy pool for him to lounge in outdoors. Also, you can whip up some delicious popsicles made with peanut butter or another favorite treat.
  3. Don’t keep your pet in a hot car. This goes without saying, but even a few minutes could be harmful. On an 85 degree day, the temperature inside a car can reach 102 within 10 minutes.
  4. Watch for heatstroke. Signs of heatstroke include glazed eyes, fast heartbeat, excessive thirst, fever, lethargy, vomiting, dark red or purple tongue, heavy panting, seizure, & unconsciousness.

 

This summer is shaping up to be a hot one! Make sure your pet is happy and comfortable!

Written by: Samantha Roberts

Scoop that Poop at the Dog Park!

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With the bipolar weather in Georgia, we have to take advantage of the nice days for our pooches and venture out to the dog park when the weather permits.  I have noticed that, despite signs, a doggy clean up station, and free disposal bags, not everyone thinks that they should have to clean up after their dog.  This is not okay!  Some dogs may carry contagious bacteria in their feces.  This may spread to other dogs and cause an unnecessary trip to the vet where money must be spent, again, unnecessarily. Also, I do not want to step in poop and neither do my dogs!  Some people may see someone else not pick up their dog’s waste, and assume that it is okay for them not to do it as well.  Let’s all set a good example and prevent unneeded catastrophe at the dog park.  Please clean up after your pooch!

All About Cat Toys

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There are two types of cat toys, interactive and solo.  The interactive toys are typically based on a fishing pole design or they may have a wand with a long piece of fabric on the end. These toys require the owner’s participation to provide movement. Solo toys are the typical fuzzy mice, squeaky balls, puzzle feeders, milk jug rings and other small play objects that the cat usually bats around on her own.  For safety reasons, the fishing pole toys should never be left alone with you feline  because the cat could chew on the strings or get tangled up in them. In addition to the safety factor, you also want to keep them put away in-between play sessions in order to maximize their appeal. If the cat knows her time with them is limited, they will be much more enticing. When an interactive toy is special to the cat, it gives you the added opportunity to use that play session for not only fun, but for behavior modification as well. Through an interactive play session you can help diffuse tension in a multicat home, redirect a cat away from an unwanted behavior, ease boredom, provide much needed environmental stimulation and so much more.  If you want to have toys last longer mentally and physically, rotate the toys out instead of having a million of them lying all over the house.  Placement is also important in keeping toys exciting. Instead of tossing a few toys out into the center of the room, strategically place them where they will spark your cat’s play drive. Place a fuzzy mouse on the edge of a cat perch with its tail dangling over the side. Put a crinkly ball inside an open paper bag or in an empty tissue box. Put a straw on the kitchen floor where it’ll be easy to bat around whenever the cat comes in to get a drink from his water bowl. Fill some puzzle feeders and place them around your cat’s play area.  A combination of these thing will keep your cats happy all day!

Tips for a Happy and Healthy Holiday

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No one in their right mind wants to spend Christmas or other holidays at the vet’s office.  Here are some helpful tips to keep your pets safe and happy during the holidays.  First, try to adhere to your pet’s regular routine as much as possible.  The holidays can be stressful with people coming and going.  If you try to keep some normalcy to your pet’s daily activities, this alone, can relieve some stress.  If you have a nervous animal, it may be best to keep him alone in a quiet room with food and water, instead of in the mix of all the activities.  Also, try not to let your pet indulge in the same holiday goodies as yourself.  Foods that contain chocolate, dried fruits, peanuts, and alcohol may be readily available, but often toxic to pets.  Also, some decorations are also harmful to pets.  Things like lillies and poinsettias can be toxic.  Ornamental bulbs and turkey bones can be a choking hazard.  Supervise pets with their Christmas presents.  Just because a toy is sold for a pet to play with, does not mean it is safe to chew or swallow!  For the most part, have fun with your pet during the holidays.  Make the most of your time off and all will surely benefit.