Dog playing in water
It has been 100 degrees plus here in my hometown for the last few weeks. When it gets that hot, people tend to stay inside their homes or other places with air conditioning or fans. However, many people think nothing of letting their dogs stay outside in the unbearable heat.
Dogs can get heat stroke, become sick or dehydrated, and even die when exposed to extreme heat, just like humans. Keep your dogs inside whenever possible during hot weather.
If your dog must be outside, remember to provide a good supply of fresh drinking water. Use a spill-proof bowl if possible. Also, there should be a shady area of the yard where your dog can go to escape the sun. If your dog is in a kennel, cage or run during the day, drape shade cloth or awning material over the top of the enclosure to provide shade. Don’t use canvas or any material that does not provide ventilation. If there is electricity available, consider purchasing a fan to keep air circulating.
If possible, provide another water source as well. A small kiddie pool with about an inch of water will allow your dog to lie in it and cool off if he or she gets overheated.
Whether you have an indoor or an outdoor dog, avoid strenuous exercise for your dog during extremely hot weather. Try to walk your dog in the early morning or evening hours when the temperature is cooler.
Never leave your dog in a parked car. Even with the windows open or parked in the shade, a parked car can reach over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You wouldn’t stay in a car that hot, your dog shouldn’t have to either.
Dogs release excess heat through panting, so if you see your pet panting more than normal, take action to cool him or her off.
Photo credit: zachd1_618 via flickr
August 14th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health | Comments (0)
Do you love dogs but aren’t in a position to have one of your own due to space or landlord restrictions? If you have the time, volunteer at a local shelter.
Most local animal shelters will welcome new volunteers with open arms. Shelters generally run on volunteer support, having few, if any, full or part time staff members.
There are a variety of activities that the volunteers can assist with. Feeding, grooming, and kennel cleaning are just a few of the things that volunteers help with. Dogs need to be walked and played with. You might be able to assist with trips to the vet, or help out at adoption events. Many shelters also have fund-raising events throughout the year to raise money to feed and house the animals.
If you have the space and the time, fostering dogs might be for you. Dogs often live in foster homes instead of kennels until they are adopted. Foster parents assist in getting the dogs acclimated to being around people, especially children, and other dogs and cats.
You can also check with local veterinarians to see if they have volunteer opportunities available. Often, vets that provide boarding services need people to tend to the animals in the off-hours. Many vets also take in unwanted animals and try to find them good homes. They may need volunteers to help foster these animals.
If you are unable to give your time to help out at a local shelter, there are still other ways you can help. Shelters are always in need of food, toys, newspaper, leashes, beds and other pet supplies.
Photo credit: Ben VanHoose
July 15th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
K-9 Units Usually Employ German Shepherds for Service Dogs.
I love this. There is a program called Vest-A-Dog, which provides bullet-proof vests for police dogs. The police officers get bullet-proof vests, so why shouldn’t their K-9 partners?
This program was started 10 years ago by an 11-year-old California girl who had read about a police dog in New Jersey who had been killed in the line of duty. Upon reading this news, young Stephanie Taylor saw a need and started looking for a way to fill it.
She started small, making it her goal to obtain a protective vest for an Oceanside, California K-9 named Tiko. Stephanie made donation boxes and distributed them at local pet stores and in veterinarians’ offices. Once the word spread about her project, Stephanie had collected enough money to purchase a vest not only for Tiko, but for five additional dogs in the Oceanside K-9 department. With this, the Vest-A-Dog Foundation was born. There are now Vest-A-Dog programs across the United States and Canada.
The official dog vest of the Vest-A-Dog program is the K-9 One Vest. Just one of these vests can cost around $600 or more, depending on the level of protection provided. Because of the cost of these vests, many K-9 units rely on donations from the public. The Vest-A-Dog Network itself does not take donations, but there are numerous non-profit organizations who will gladly accept monetary donations and use them to purchase K-9 vests. You can also purchase vests directly and donate them to local K-9 units.
Photo credit: Ameliorate! at en.wikipedia
June 24th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
I have a 12-wk.-old wolf/malamute puppy that was diagnosed with parvo today. Because of financial situations I chose to treat him at home.
I have been giving him 20cc of pedialyte as instructed to by my vet every 2 hrs, along with the medication that was prescribed. It has been 7 hours since he has vomited or had any diarrhea but he is still as lethargic as ever. His temp. this morning was 105.4 and when I took it recently it had gone down some.
I was just wondering if anybody new how long before I can tell if he is recovering or worsening … He is a very special animal and I hope he will make it.
Concerned friend,
Elizabeth
(photo credit: silverfang29)
April 10th, 2009 by Pet Guy | Posted in Dog Health | Comments (0)
Loading ...
