Rising Heat Means Rising Risks For Pets – 5 Tips To Safety.
Animal safety website: www.DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com, shares
life-saving information with pet owners on ways to protect the lives of their
pets during the summer months and scorching hot temperatures.
For most people, the start of the summer is a happy event. There will be
pool parties, barbecues, and many trips to amusement parks. But for our beloved pets, facing rising temperatures without precautionary measures in place could lead to premature death, one that could be avoided.
Our pets are just as eager for some fun in the sun but just like for humans, we must remember to take some careful measures to ensure they can withstand the summer heat to avoid a host of other potential problems.
Below are some life-saving tips:
Beware Of Lawns:
Neighboring lawns or large fields at parks should be one of the biggest concerns for pet owners, especially dog owners. The reason for this is due to pesticides, fertilizers, and insecticides being used by many homeowners to protect their lawns when warm weather arrives.
Plants:
There are certain plants and flowers, if ingested can be quite harmful to pets. As reported by the Humane Society of the United States, more than 700 plants has been named as producing toxic substances that can be harmful to animals.
You may even have some of them in your very own backyard such as apple trees (seeds can be harmful to an animal’s health) and holy shrubs (berries fall into the poisonous category). Although it may be impossible, as a pet owner, to avoid lawns entirely, be very mindful of the surrounding whenever you and your pet are out taking a stroll around the neighborhood.
Certain Temperatures Must Be Avoided:
It’s only natural to want to take your pet along with you on routine errands once the warm weather returns. Taking car trips to the supermarket and the post office may seem relatively harmless but, in fact, it can turn into a very dangerous situation for your pet.
It doesn’t take long for cars to heat up even when parked in the shade. The temperature inside a car can reach 120 F in a matter of minutes, as this is common on a hot day. Pet owners will more than likely have the air conditioning on while they’re driving – the AC is typically turned off once getting out of the car.
This leaves pets to sit in what rapidly becomes sweltering heat. The consequences are many: heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even brain damage can occur. The safest route to take is to, in general, during summer months, to leave your pet at home as you go out to run errands.
Heart Worm Protection/Symptoms Of Dog Worms:
During the winter, many pet owners stop giving their pets heart worm medication. You will find that most veterinarians are accepting of this because heart worm is transmitted through mosquitoes, which aren’t present during the colder months. A dry cough can sometimes be a sign of heart worm. Other worms might cause a decrease in weight or difficulty in gaining weight. Be sure to check your pet’s stool as it may also contain worms as well.
Pet owners should resume giving their pets the heart worm medication again once the weather heats up. The reason for this is because heart worm is a blood disease that can be very painful for pets. At the point of infection, the heart worm lava can grow and turn into worms, which then live in the blood vessels surrounding the heart and lungs.
What comes next is the adult worms begin to mate and circulate throughout an animal’s bloodstream. Since the cost of prevention is relatively low, many veterinarians are amazed at the prevalence of heart worm. Although heart worm is indeed treatable once an animal has been infected, such treatment can be excruciatingly painful for the animal.
But there is good news: This fate can be avoided. How? By simply giving your pet – although heart worm is most commonly transmitted to dogs, it can infect cats, too – heart worm medication long before the start of spring. To be on the safe side, continue the medication all year round.
The responsible pet owner will be careful to take mental notes of how much activity their pet can handle in warmer weather. Dogs with thick coats, short-nosed dogs, and senior dogs generally experience great difficulty handling a lot of activity as they normally do in other seasons.
This of course, is not a license for them not to exercise, but pet owners should be very mindful about when these types of pets get their exercise. The best times would be early morning or evening hours because the temperature is at its’ coolest.
Avoid Summer Carnivals/Fairs With Pets: For many pets, heat can cause them a great deal of stress. And if you add on the mixture of large crowds and loud noises, this can cause your pets to suffer from anxiety.
To be on the safe side, it is generally a good idea to leave pets in the home when attending such gatherings and this includes celebrations such as: Fourth of July fireworks as this can trigger anxiety in pets and should be avoided. To learn more about caring for pets during the summer season or pet care in general, visit the HSUS website at www.hsus.org
------------------------
Yves Marie Danie Baptiste is an expert publicity marketer and writer who takes great passion in using her skills to bring light to issues she feels needs greater awareness such as eradicating homelessness in the lives of children, fixing a broken veterans' benefits system, providing maximum protection in the homes for seniors & friends in safety, and last, but certainly not least.... the humane care of our furry loved ones. Visit: Pet Safety
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Ultimate Guide: How To Choose A Vet.
- HOW TO CHOOSE A VET -
Your vet is a pretty significant figure in your dog’s life – and thus, in yours. Hopefully, you’ll only ever need him or her for routine checkups and preventative procedures; but just in case, it’s worth taking the time to develop a good relationship with a suitable vet, before you need their services.
WHERE AT LOOK
Sure, you could just pick a vet at random from the Yellow Pages or from an Internet search; but having the right vet is crucial to your dog’s health and happiness (and, presumably, this plays at least some part in your own happiness and peace of mind as an owner, right?)
Think about it this way: if you were trying to choose a doctor for yourself, would you be happy to just select one at random from an impersonal list?
Probably not. You’d want somebody who comes highly recommended – somebody you feel like you can trust.
Your vet isn’t just your dog’s doctor; he or she is also the dentist, manicurist, psychologist, and – hopefully! – a friend. When you roll all these things up into one, you can see why it’s necessary to spend some time confirming that you’ve made the right choice.
The best place to start looking for a vet is by word of mouth. If you have any friends or relatives who take good care of their dogs, then that’s a great place to start: ask them who they’d recommend, and why. This last one is particularly important, because everyone has different priorities: for example, perhaps they like their own vet because he/she is a specialist in their own particular breed; or they don’t charge very much; or the clinic is only five minutes’ drive … their priorities are not necessarily yours, so it’s a good idea to make sure that your values coincide with the person giving the recommendations.
Another great place to find a vet is through local training clubs (Schutzhund, agility, herding classes, police K-9 academies, etc.) These organizations are almost guaranteed to place a great deal of importance on high-quality veterinary care, because the health and well-being of their dogs is such a priority.
Once you’ve got a list of vets that you’re interested in pursuing further, all you have to do is call up the clinic and explain that you’re looking to find a regular vet for your dog(s): can you come in for a quick chat, introduce your dog, and have a look at the premises?
HAVE A LOOK BEFORE YOU NEED TO
Before you decide to align yourself and your dog with a particular clinic, test the waters first. Ideally, you want a chance to talk to the vet, and discuss his or her philosophies and approach to pet care.
This is really important. If your dog ever really needs vet-care (if there’s an emergency, or if she needs an urgent short-term appointment), you want to be sure that you’ve made the best possible choice as far as her health and comfort levels are concerned. Neither of you should be subjected to any unnecessary extra stress at a time like that – and you can avoid a lot of grief by spending a bit of time in preparation.
THINGS TO ASK THE VET
While you’re at the clinic, you’ll want to be assessing your potential vet’s overall attitude and approach to health care and animals; and you’ll also probably want answers to some specific questions.
Here’s a list of useful questions to help you on your way:
- How many vets are there on staff? If you need to make an urgent appointment, you don’t want to be waiting around while precious minutes tick past. Ideally, there’ll be at least two qualified veterinarians on hand (not just technicians or assistants.)
- What kind of testing and analysis capabilities does the clinic have If they have to send away to a lab for this kind of stuff, it means that the results are going to be delayed. If your dog is very sick, time is an important factor: it’s best if the clinic has at least blood-analysis testing on hand.
- What after-hours services are available? A lot of clinics close the doors in the evenings and on weekends, which means that if there’s an emergency, you’ll have to go somewhere else – and subject your dog (and yourself) to an unfamiliar vet. (If you don’t mind this, then that’s fine; but be aware that in a high-stress situation when emotions are running high, it’s reassuring for your dog and yourself to deal with someone familiar.)
- What’s their price range? How are payments made? Is there a facility for payment plans in case of unexpected vet bills? The payment-plan option is particularly important. Even with pet insurance, vet bills can sometimes be astronomical – and not everyone has the resources to deal with large vet bills straight away. Ask the clinic how they cater for situations like that.
- How up-to-date is the staff with advances in the industry? Do the vet, the technicians, and the assistants attend seminars and workshops regularly? The field of medical care is always moving forward – responsible vets make the effort to keep up with the times, and see that their staff do, too.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
When you choose a vet, you’re balancing convenience and quality. There’s no right or wrong vet for you and your dog – which is partly why making the choice can be so confusing. There are lots of vets to choose from, and they’re all different!
Even though it’s tempting to go for the one right around the corner with the rock-bottom prices, it really is worthwhile taking the time to shop around. Your dog is utterly dependent on you for her healthcare – and if you take her seriously as a companion and member of the family, you’ll want to do the best thing by her.
A good vet knows how to take care of you as well as your dog. The relationship that you have with your vet will hopefully be one that’s based around a healthy mutual respect and positive synergy - there should be very little scope for misunderstanding. When the two of you see eye to eye, it makes caring for your dog that much easier.
FURTHER READING
For a complete survival guide on stress-free dog care, including detailed information on when your dog needs to see the vet, how to respond to pet emergencies, dog First Aid, and all common health problems, check out The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health. It’s a complete handbook on dog health care, and teaches you how to take a proactive and prepared approach to knowledgeable dog ownership.
You can visit The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health by clicking on the link below:
Dog Health Care
Your vet is a pretty significant figure in your dog’s life – and thus, in yours. Hopefully, you’ll only ever need him or her for routine checkups and preventative procedures; but just in case, it’s worth taking the time to develop a good relationship with a suitable vet, before you need their services.
WHERE AT LOOK
Sure, you could just pick a vet at random from the Yellow Pages or from an Internet search; but having the right vet is crucial to your dog’s health and happiness (and, presumably, this plays at least some part in your own happiness and peace of mind as an owner, right?)
Think about it this way: if you were trying to choose a doctor for yourself, would you be happy to just select one at random from an impersonal list?
Probably not. You’d want somebody who comes highly recommended – somebody you feel like you can trust.
Your vet isn’t just your dog’s doctor; he or she is also the dentist, manicurist, psychologist, and – hopefully! – a friend. When you roll all these things up into one, you can see why it’s necessary to spend some time confirming that you’ve made the right choice.
The best place to start looking for a vet is by word of mouth. If you have any friends or relatives who take good care of their dogs, then that’s a great place to start: ask them who they’d recommend, and why. This last one is particularly important, because everyone has different priorities: for example, perhaps they like their own vet because he/she is a specialist in their own particular breed; or they don’t charge very much; or the clinic is only five minutes’ drive … their priorities are not necessarily yours, so it’s a good idea to make sure that your values coincide with the person giving the recommendations.
Another great place to find a vet is through local training clubs (Schutzhund, agility, herding classes, police K-9 academies, etc.) These organizations are almost guaranteed to place a great deal of importance on high-quality veterinary care, because the health and well-being of their dogs is such a priority.
Once you’ve got a list of vets that you’re interested in pursuing further, all you have to do is call up the clinic and explain that you’re looking to find a regular vet for your dog(s): can you come in for a quick chat, introduce your dog, and have a look at the premises?
HAVE A LOOK BEFORE YOU NEED TO
Before you decide to align yourself and your dog with a particular clinic, test the waters first. Ideally, you want a chance to talk to the vet, and discuss his or her philosophies and approach to pet care.
This is really important. If your dog ever really needs vet-care (if there’s an emergency, or if she needs an urgent short-term appointment), you want to be sure that you’ve made the best possible choice as far as her health and comfort levels are concerned. Neither of you should be subjected to any unnecessary extra stress at a time like that – and you can avoid a lot of grief by spending a bit of time in preparation.
THINGS TO ASK THE VET
While you’re at the clinic, you’ll want to be assessing your potential vet’s overall attitude and approach to health care and animals; and you’ll also probably want answers to some specific questions.
Here’s a list of useful questions to help you on your way:
- How many vets are there on staff? If you need to make an urgent appointment, you don’t want to be waiting around while precious minutes tick past. Ideally, there’ll be at least two qualified veterinarians on hand (not just technicians or assistants.)
- What kind of testing and analysis capabilities does the clinic have If they have to send away to a lab for this kind of stuff, it means that the results are going to be delayed. If your dog is very sick, time is an important factor: it’s best if the clinic has at least blood-analysis testing on hand.
- What after-hours services are available? A lot of clinics close the doors in the evenings and on weekends, which means that if there’s an emergency, you’ll have to go somewhere else – and subject your dog (and yourself) to an unfamiliar vet. (If you don’t mind this, then that’s fine; but be aware that in a high-stress situation when emotions are running high, it’s reassuring for your dog and yourself to deal with someone familiar.)
- What’s their price range? How are payments made? Is there a facility for payment plans in case of unexpected vet bills? The payment-plan option is particularly important. Even with pet insurance, vet bills can sometimes be astronomical – and not everyone has the resources to deal with large vet bills straight away. Ask the clinic how they cater for situations like that.
- How up-to-date is the staff with advances in the industry? Do the vet, the technicians, and the assistants attend seminars and workshops regularly? The field of medical care is always moving forward – responsible vets make the effort to keep up with the times, and see that their staff do, too.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
When you choose a vet, you’re balancing convenience and quality. There’s no right or wrong vet for you and your dog – which is partly why making the choice can be so confusing. There are lots of vets to choose from, and they’re all different!
Even though it’s tempting to go for the one right around the corner with the rock-bottom prices, it really is worthwhile taking the time to shop around. Your dog is utterly dependent on you for her healthcare – and if you take her seriously as a companion and member of the family, you’ll want to do the best thing by her.
A good vet knows how to take care of you as well as your dog. The relationship that you have with your vet will hopefully be one that’s based around a healthy mutual respect and positive synergy - there should be very little scope for misunderstanding. When the two of you see eye to eye, it makes caring for your dog that much easier.
FURTHER READING
For a complete survival guide on stress-free dog care, including detailed information on when your dog needs to see the vet, how to respond to pet emergencies, dog First Aid, and all common health problems, check out The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health. It’s a complete handbook on dog health care, and teaches you how to take a proactive and prepared approach to knowledgeable dog ownership.
You can visit The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health by clicking on the link below:
Dog Health Care
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Picture of Boula, my boxer in bikinis.
Boula wears bathing suits in the summer and
leaves the house donning a GIANTS makeshift helmets
in the winter.
"Natural Dog & Pet Food Holiday Drive 2007"
Contact: Ms. Baptiste 347-612-4338
For Immediate Release
Will You Lend A Paw This Christmas Season?
DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com 1st Annual Queens
Holiday Natural Pet Food Drive
NEW YORK, NY - December 1, 2007 Queens resident and
She-e-O of www.DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com, Yves Marie Danie
Baptiste, is sponsoring the 1st Annual Queens holiday natural
pet food drive to benefit local animal charities.
When asked what inspired her to organize a natural
pet food drive, Yves Marie Danie replied, "The recent pet food recall at the beginning of this year was a major wake-up call for me. I have a sweet boxer at home and I didn't want to accidentally poison her and cause her kidneys to fail from the dog food that I was feeding her. After extensive research I finally learned of all the nutritional foods that promote optimum health in pets. I wouldn't think to feed her anything less. And now, she
thanks me for it in her renewed energy and lots of doggie
kisses."
Leading dog-health author, Ann N. Martin, sums up the state of commercial dog food in a single sentence.."Most commercial pet foods are garbage."
Donations of cans of natural cans of dog and cat food (or mail in cash)can be dropped off at the offices of Animal Haven, a nonprofit organization that provides lifetime shelter for homeless pets. The center is located at 35-22 Prince Street Flushing, NY 11354. The hours of operation
are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon to 7pm.
We need to do everything in our power to protect our pets from poisons in their meals. I think that is the best Christmas present we can ever give to them - all year round, says Yves Marie Danie Baptiste of DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com
#####
To get a FREE tips on things you can do to protect
beloved pets from common ailments related to the foods they eat send an email to food[AT]DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com
If you need to reach Yves Marie Danie Baptiste for an interview
....call her at 347-612-4338.
For Immediate Release
Will You Lend A Paw This Christmas Season?
DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com 1st Annual Queens
Holiday Natural Pet Food Drive
NEW YORK, NY - December 1, 2007 Queens resident and
She-e-O of www.DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com, Yves Marie Danie
Baptiste, is sponsoring the 1st Annual Queens holiday natural
pet food drive to benefit local animal charities.
When asked what inspired her to organize a natural
pet food drive, Yves Marie Danie replied, "The recent pet food recall at the beginning of this year was a major wake-up call for me. I have a sweet boxer at home and I didn't want to accidentally poison her and cause her kidneys to fail from the dog food that I was feeding her. After extensive research I finally learned of all the nutritional foods that promote optimum health in pets. I wouldn't think to feed her anything less. And now, she
thanks me for it in her renewed energy and lots of doggie
kisses."
Leading dog-health author, Ann N. Martin, sums up the state of commercial dog food in a single sentence.."Most commercial pet foods are garbage."
Donations of cans of natural cans of dog and cat food (or mail in cash)can be dropped off at the offices of Animal Haven, a nonprofit organization that provides lifetime shelter for homeless pets. The center is located at 35-22 Prince Street Flushing, NY 11354. The hours of operation
are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon to 7pm.
We need to do everything in our power to protect our pets from poisons in their meals. I think that is the best Christmas present we can ever give to them - all year round, says Yves Marie Danie Baptiste of DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com
#####
To get a FREE tips on things you can do to protect
beloved pets from common ailments related to the foods they eat send an email to food[AT]DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com
If you need to reach Yves Marie Danie Baptiste for an interview
....call her at 347-612-4338.
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