I've decided that I should have seasonal tips along with the rest of the info supplied.

Each Season there are new things you need to be wary of when it comes to your animals. When I have enough tips, I'll put them on a seasonal archive page because I know that even though it's not always hot were I am it may apply somewhere else. I will be updating this page with each passing season. For now the hot weather tips will follow my guestbook, and email adress.

With each new season come new things to think about. Summer and Winter being two of the most fun & sometimes hazardous to your pet. Winter brings frostbite, dry skin, and interesting bad choices for dietary habits.

• In my neck of the woods we haven't really had any snow yet. But it will come. One thing to remember is that dogs can get frostbite. Especially beware of feet & ears. You can protect tender feet by attempting to keep them protected with booties, or petroleum jelly. Not all dogs will wear the booties, I think some of the other dogs make fun of them... so just try to limit the time that they spend outdoors if possible.

• Dry skin is something that is very hard to avoid in the colder months. You can use a humidifier in your home, which will help some... but nothing is foolproof. Make sure not to overbathe your dog. This will only worsen the problem. If your dog has extremely dry skin, make sure that you or your groomer uses a mild shampoo. Oatmeal shampoos work very well, and smell good too.

• Holiday related hazards are something that you can totally prevent. Keep wrapping paper and all manor of festive wrappings away from pets. One of kitties favorite and most deadly toys can be tinsel. It shines with the light and looks very inviting, but if swallowed can wrap around inside the intestines where it can lead to death. I personally can not have a Xmas tree. I have one crazy cat who likes to try to climb and between the fact that he can injure himself, (not to mention the fact that all the bulbs get broken... another potential hazard) it's just not worth the risk or aggravation.

  If you own a home & want to decorate just follow these tips.

• Securely fasten the tree to a wall on either side with bolts. They have pretty sturdy ones out there that are relatively small, and you can always come up with someway to decorate them.
• Avoid Tinsel. You can use strings of beads, or Fancy Ribbon to go around the tree, and believe it or not, it does look really pretty.
• If your pets will allow you to have a tree, keep glass or fragile ornaments on the top most branches. Between the batting around, or just the thumps from a happy tail, those bad boys can be knocked right out of the park.
• Try to minimize the amount of table scraps your dog (or cat) is given. You can do crunches after the New Year and you've made your resolutions, it's alot harder to work off the pounds for your pup.

A pretty good rule of thumb for winter safety, if that if you think it's too cold for yourself to be out there... please don't send your pet out for anything other than bathroom duty. They came up with the term "Not fit for man or beast" for a reason.

Have a Happy and SAFE holiday!

OK, summer has come & gone & boy was it ever hot this year! (Sweating as I type!) Here are some hot weather tips.

• This is the first, because it is the most important! NEVER leave your dog in the car while you "run" into the store for a minute.
  I know that most people know this, but some people still do it. It may only be 80 degrees outside but a car can be upwards of 110 degrees if sitting in the sun. Even with windows down you can literally cook your dog.
  There was atleast one case of someone that thought it would be ok because they left a dog in the car with the car running & the air conditioner on, but the car stalled & the dog died in a matter of minutes.
  If you need to run errands, you are better off leaving your dog at home. If you are out with your dog, & realize that you need to stop, bring the dog home, & then run out afterwards... the inconvenience of going out again is worth saving your dogs life.

• Sunburn is also something you should consider. White dogs are the most susceptible to sunburn & thus skin cancer. Check with your vet to see that a sunscreen is safe. If the vet oks what you'd like to use, go for it. The same rules that apply to us also apply to our pets when it comes to sunblock & protection from the sun.
  Try to keep your dog inside during the suns strongest hours. If he must go outside, make sure that he has plenty of cool fresh water & a nice shady spot to lie down.

• Keep an eye on the pads of your dogs feet. Remember how cute & soft they were when they were puppies? I love puppy feet, I know... strange but try this... rub the bottom of a puppies feet, feel how soft they are? They are the equivalent of a baby's butt until they start walking on pavement & stuff. Most people never think of the dogs foot as a problem area except for the toenails. But a dogs feet can be burnt, or in the winter frostbit. So try to avoid really hot pavement or beaches when walking your dog. Stick to grassy areas, or if he insists on walking on pavement, try to do so during early morning or late evening hours.

• Boarding your pet when you are on vacation is sometimes a necessity.
  There are kennels all over the world where your pup can stay while you are away. Make sure to find a reputable establishment, visit the place, and ask certain questions.
  • Will your dog have play time?
  • When will he/she be fed?
  • If you have to leave a puppy will they stick to a puppy feeding schedule?
  • Do all of the other dogs have their shots?

  I know the last one sounds strange, but Kennel Cough is one of the leading problems that dogs can encounter at a kennel. Make sure that the kennel demands proof from ALL parents that their dog has been vaccinated against Kennel Cough. It is HIGHLY contagious, & is an airborne virus. So even if your dog never physically comes into contact with another dog that has it, your dog can get it.
  One our little ones had a funny cough (one of the symptoms) & his mom called the vet. They would not even let her bring him into the office. They came out to the car looked him over, & then brought out his prescription. It is THAT contagious. It turns out he has an upper respiratory infection instead, but the vet wasn't taking any chances!

• Fleas & ticks are nasty little bugs of the summer. I cover them on my miscellaneous page. Mosquitos & stinging bugs are another evil of the summer. Mosquitos can carry heartworm. To avoid this, just make sure that you have your dog checked every year & that he or she is up to date on their shots or pills. The other stinging bugs are more just a pain in the butt than anything else. But you do want to be careful that your dog doesn't disturb a nest of bees, yellowjackets, etc.
  If this does happen, keep a very close eye on your dog. If they are stung you can bet money in that it was the face & nose. Too many stings can cause them to have difficulty breathing, & be potentially life threatening. If you are seriously concerned, call your vet & get his advice.
  I have a friend whos nosy dog LU-C stuck her nose where it did not belong & got stung a bunch of times. She immediately gave her a half a Benadryl pill and LU-C's face swelled a tiny bit, but she was ok. Without the Benadryl she would have been making a trip to the vet.

• Let it be known that dogs do get allergies. I don't know about other parts of the country, but I live in New England & the pollen is unreal!!! Dogs (& people) who have never shown signs of problems before are having trouble this year. Mostly watery eyes & sneezing.

  If you notice that your dogs are unusually runny, take a damp cloth, or cotton ball and gently wipe the eyes. If your dog has a fuzzy face, just hold on to the beard (they will wiggle) & clean them. I know they act like you are killing them, but if you don't do it, the stuff just gunks up & makes it hard for them to see, & it looks pretty gross.

  Another sign of allergies could be a bad case of the itchies. Dogs can get really itchy due to many things... bugs, allergies, & a serious case of just plain old dirty. If you've had your pet groomed & you know there are no fleas, & it's not dirty, then it's probably allergies. Depending on the size of the dog, you can sometimes give your dog half a pill of benadryl. This works for dogs the same as it does for humans. I suggest giving half a pill for a 50 pound dog, you can give more or less depending on the size. You don't want to give too much to a little dog because if it knocks you on your butt than it will do the same to the dog. If you are unsure of whether or not to give your dog any form of medication, by all means contact your vet first.

• OK... holidays are coming! :o) Of course I'm talking about the Fourth of July. This can be a very scary time for nervous dogs. Between parties & fireworks, your dog can be come easily stressed.

  Make sure that you have a quiet place set aside for your dog to "hide" if necessary. A closet works well, you can set aside an area with a favorite pillow or toy & yes... I know it's strange, but even one of your dirty Tshirts. It doesn't have to be grubby enough to walk away on it's own, just something that smells like you.

  Try to keep things at a normal pace if possible. If you know that your dog becomes overly nervous you should contact your vet in advance & have him prescribe some sort of medication. There is puppy prozac, valium, tranquilzers... Your vet will know what is best for your dog. There are also some natural herbs that you can purchase that are good for car sickness, some of these may actually help as well.

  
  
  

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