Tip Of The Week Page 13

Tip Of The Week

A word of warning: Recently a dog choked to death when the S ring for his dog tags on his collar caught on his crate. If you leave a collar on your dog, please consider a break-away collar for the safety of your dog.

Swimming with your dog? Prevent moisture in ears from resulting in ear infections: Always dry ears after swimming. Use a soft, sturdy paper towel, a gauze sponge or a wad of cotton. Wrap your finger in the selected material and gently dry the inside of the canal.

Seasonal allergies in pets are more common than many people think. Pets can be allergic to pollens, seasonal molds or fungus, fibers, and dust mites. These can cause runny noses, runny eyes, and scratching. But there are ways you can minimize your pet's suffering. Some indoor airborne allergens can be eliminated with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. Because flea bites can cause serious allergic reactions for some pets, be sure to maintain your pet's flea regimen. A good diet will help ensure your pet's immune system is equipped to deal with seasonal allergens.

Anal Gland Care: Remember, squeezing the anal gland regularly will help minimize build-up and irritation but some material will undoubtably still remain in the sacs causing the process to begin again. If you find your pet is always building up matter then you should talk to your vet about one of the other treatments for a longer remedy to the symptoms.

How can you recognise overheating and its severity? First signs are often increased panting and increased activity with barking or whining. Dogs will look obviously agitated. Then excessive salivation can occur, often with drooling and with strands of saliva hanging from the mouth. Extreme panting and dark coloured gums will follow. Glassy eyes and of stupor may be seen. Once body temperature is raised to the point that cell death occurs then seizures, coma and death follow. The key to successful recovery from overheating is early detection and prompt treatment. Remove the animal to a cool shaded place, providee water to drink and spray the animal with cool water (cooling may also be achieved by blowing cool air from a fan). Seek immediate veterinary advice if there is not a prompt response to cooling.

Bedding for your furry friends should be routinely checked for any potential risk to your pet. Towels can develop "strings" which can wrap around a foot, cutting off circulation. Scraps of bedding, as well as toys can be ingested and cause intestinal problems. In colder climates, adding schredded newspaper to your dog's bedding adds insulation against the cold (We like unprinted newspaper to avoid ink rubbing off on our dogs.).

With Cristmas shopping on everyone's mind, please remember to consider the risk of injury to your pets from toys and collars. In improper fit on a collar can lead to strangulation or getting caught on the underjaw of a dog. Ingestion of toys or parts of toys can be fatal. Think of an infant child when you select gifts for your beloved four legged companions - would this item be safe for an infant?

When your pet travels in a crate (the safest mode of travel for them) or crating your pet at a show, remember that the soft sided crates are not as secure as hard sided crates. Dogs can easily chew through the softer material and "walk" the crate when it becomes excited. Also on the subject of crating your dog in the car or at the show: ALWAYS pull on the door of the crate after you lock it to be certain it is securely closed.

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