Did Ya' Know?
Be cool while having fun in the sun
Well, the dog days of summer are upon us in the Tri State. This means some special things for your dogs and other furry friends.
Would you let your child go for a day at the park or pool without sunscreen? What about your dog? Dogs that have pink noses, no hair (like the Chinese Crested),
light skin or were recently shaved of longer hair are all at risk for sunburn too. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to them as well.
Did you know that dogs and cats only sweat through their feet?
Unlike humans who sweat
all over allowing evaporation to cool their body temperature, dogs and cats can only lower their body temperature by sweating through their feet and by panting.
This makes the hot humid days even worse for dogs and cats and even more of a risk for heat stroke. It is important to exercise you pet early in the morning
or late at night or possibly not at all depending on the weather conditions. The fastest way to cool off a pet that is too hot is to wet them with a hose.
If they seem weak or wobbly when exercising, medical attention should be sought from a veterinarian’s office.
Hope everyone has a safe and cool summer.
Ticks and Fleas among us
With the warmer days of summer comes popsicles, ice cream, trips to the pool and those pesky little critters called fleas and ticks that drive our pets (and sometimes us) crazy.
Do you remember the days of dips, shampoos, sprays, nasty smelling collars, powders, and house “bombs” to treat fleas? We’ve come a long way from those days. Today we have so many very easy and safe options for flea treatment it is mind boggling. Every major animal health care company has their own version of flea and tick products. Let’s review some things to help you sort out what is best for your pet.
There are several stages of the flea life cycle. To get rid of fleas in a house you need to address the adult fleas on the pet as well as the eggs in the environment that have fallen off
the pet. Some products only kill adults and do not address the eggs. While others only sterilize the eggs and do nothing for the adults. To get rid of a flea infestation you must address both the adults and the eggs. Look for products labeled for both. If you’re unsure consult your veterinarian to be sure. It is important to remember that flea eggs can sit dormant for up to a year. The eggs are stimulated to hatch by vibration and warmth. This is important to remember if you have a vacation house. While the house is vacant, the eggs will just sit there waiting for the house to be occupied again. Boy are those eggs happy when you come back again to visit the next year and they can start the cycle all over again.
Ticks in Ohio usually come out in the Spring and late Summer but this year we’ve seen them continuing longer than usual into the Summer. Ticks can cause skin reactions where they attach but can also carry life threatening diseases to dogs and cats like Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. We’re lucky here in the tri state area because we really don’t have much threat of lyme disease so most tick products will work . If you are going to the east coast or areas of the country that lyme is present make sure the tick product you use kills the Ixodes tick that carries lyme disease.
Remember to read the label for the flea and tick products that you use. Not all products can be used on both dogs and cats. Some dog products can kill cats if applied to them or
if the cat ingests them. So make sure to read the labels carefully. When in doubt call your veterinarian for advice.