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A sudden change of schedule can lead to stress in your dog or cat and can cause behavioral problems. Extra attention and/or a new friend may be the solution.

After a summer of playing ball, swimming, catching fireflies and getting lots of attention from his favorite boy or girl, your dog or cat may not be himself when the kids dash off on the first day of the new school year. The sudden disruption to his schedule and special time may cause your pet to eat too much, not want to eat at all or start eating strange objects such as plants, dirt, toys or clothing. This can result in vomiting, diarrhea and skin problems to name a few. Now is the time to give your four-legged family member some extra attention and to bone-up on your Pet First-Aid skills because no matter how hard you try…life happens and you can’t keep any of your family members in a plastic bubble!

 

Back-to-School Tips

Keeping a few things in mind may help the animals in your household adjust and stay safe:

1. When the school bell rings, don’t let your pet go back to school too. A lonely pet may want to tag along. Keep your pet confined when children leave for school, and if you drive, don’t take the pets with you. Animals learn quickly and may find their own way to school later on resulting in them becoming lost or injured. For severe separation anxiety, place the t-shirt your child slept in the night before in your pet’s bed — as long as he doesn’t rip it to shreds, it will make him feel like his boy or girl is there with him.

2. Now that mom or dad may be experiencing a little “empty nesting,” it’s a great time to spend extra quality time with the family pet. Embark on an exercise and training program for your dog. A tired dog is a good dog who will wait patiently for his “kids” to come home from school.  This is prime time to teach or refresh doggie obedience and kitty manners by getting involved in an exercise and training program – yes, cats too can learn new tricks!

3. Love and attention is a bow wow wonderful thing, but when training is done for the day and you need a little time to yourself, you won’t want Fido or Fluffy acting like a velcro pet, sticking to your side every second of the day.  Interest dogs in interactive toys to entertain themselves.  Toys filled with treats, tennis ball launchers and chicken scented bubble machines are just a few novelties on the market.   For cats there are electronic mice, bungee cord and laser light toys.  Just know your pet and supervise him.  Don’t believe labels claiming products are indestructible!

4. If your cat is seeming bored with the kids away…consider adopting a second cat to keep him company. They will play and exercise together and you will have saved a life.

Dogs and cats are part of the family too, so make sure you focus extra attention on them when their world has suddenly turned upside down.

 

For 16 years Denise Fleck’s Sunny-dog Ink motto has been “Helping people to help their pets,” and she has…teaching more than 10,000 pet lovers animal life-saving skills and millions more on national television segments, yet better pet parenting is still a secret in many communities.  In the Spring of 2017, in her role as Pet Safety Crusader™, Denise will journey across the Southern U.S. to “Be the one who makes a difference” by helping large numbers of people help their pets in one concerted effort!  Pet First Aid classes, Pet Disaster Preparedness training and readings of her children’s books will be part of the fun as she travels 10,000 miles to 18 cities — from California to Florida, north to Virginia, across to Tennessee, down to Arkansas and back across the Southwest.  Super hero sponsors are needed to be the ‘wheels beneath her RV.’ Learn more about this epic adventure, Denise’s line of Pet First-Aid Kits, books and instructional posters at www.sunnydogink.com

 

Moving can be a stressful event for the entire family, including your household pets. To reduce the drama and chaos often involved in a move, you can employ the following tips to help minimize your pets’ discomfort. Whether you’re moving to a new town or across the country, the following tips will help you keep your pets comfortable as they adjust to the changes to come.

 

#1 Talk to Your Vet

If you’re moving long distance, it’s a smart idea to visit the veterinarian for a checkup. If your pet is especially nervous when it comes to change or finds long-distance drives to be particularly traumatic, you might ask your vet to prescribe a sedative. Additionally, your vet may also be able to recommend another vet in your new location.

 

#2 Keep Pets Away from the Action

Even the most docile and obedient pets can become unhinged during the action of a move. It’s not uncommon for cats and dogs to run off if given the chance during the confusion of a move. To prevent your pet from feeling anxious or scared with the entrance of local movers, you should ideally keep your pets contained in crates or in a quiet room that’s already been cleared. Be sure your pet has food and water. If your pet is a dog, you can take it for a walk or two during moving breaks. Some people have found that allowing pets to stay with a friend during the move also helps prevent drama.

 

#3 Move Household before Pets

If possible, try to prepare your new household before introducing your pet. That way, it will recognize some familiar features. While some pets may find that exploring a new home is exciting, others may feel nervous or apprehensive about settling in. You can help your pet acclimate to its new abode by setting up a special area with food, water and a bed. Along those same lines, you should make sure your new home is properly pet-proofed to avoid early injuries while you settle in.

 

#4 Transport Pets in Your Vehicle

It’s not a good idea to transport your pets in a moving van or vehicle. Not only can ventilation be poor, but boxes or household items could inadvertently fall on your pet’s crate or carrier. It’s best to transport your pets in the safety of your own vehicle. If you are traveling a long distance, make sure to bring along plenty of food, water and treats for your pet. You might even want to take along a few toys.

 

#5 ID Your Pets

Before moving day, you should update your pets’ identification tags. Include your pet’s name and your current cell phone number on the tag. In case your pet wanders from home and gets lost — at either location — a current tag will ensure that it is returned to you quickly. You should also have your pet chipped as an added safety measure.

 

#6 Find Pet-Friendly Lodgings

Finally, if your move requires an overnight stay, be sure to make arrangements to stay at a pet-friendly hotel. Have plenty of pet supplies to ensure that your pet has all it needs while on the road.

 

Conclusion

By following these tips, you can make your pet more comfortable during a tumultuous time. Moving may not be pleasurable, but you can reduce the drama by following the advice outlined here.

 

Written contribution by Andrea Davis, Home Advisor.

Adopt-a-Pet.com is excited to be Booster’s spotlight organization for their B-Cause Pets campaign all this month! You can join in and help homeless pets by supporting the campaign and snagging yourself one of these fun and comfy T-shirts that tell the world what every pet adopter knows: Our pets think we’re perfect.

Get yours now and wear it with pride knowing that your purchase supports homeless pet adoption!

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Boston, MA — August 5, 2016 — Booster, LLC, the social fundraising site that makes it easy to raise awareness and money for the people, animals, and causes we care about, today announced the launch of B-Cause: Pets – a national initiative to raise awareness about animals in need, and to expand support for thousands of U.S. animal shelters and rescue organizations dedicated to helping them.

 

A key element of the initiative is a campaign to raise support and money for Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website.

 

Booster’s B-Cause: Pets is based on a four-fold mission:

1. To celebrate America’s love of pets
2. To champion inspiring individuals and nonprofits running t-shirt fundraisers to benefit pets.
3. To encourage animal lovers to support pet fundraisers, and to launch campaigns of their own.
4. To showcase Adopt-a-Pet.com and raise money for pet adoptions.

“With an estimated 79.7 million U.S. households with a pet (65 percent of all homes), there’s no question: Americans love pets,“ said Andrew Moss, President of Booster, LLC (www.booster.com). “From goldfish to Great Danes, and from horses to boa constrictors – animals give us joy, unconditional love and companionship. It’s no wonder that more than 63 percent of pet-owners consider their pets to be family members.”

 

Commenting on the announcement of B-Cause: Pets, Booster’s Andrew Moss said: “Since the launch of Booster.com three years ago–thousands of t-shirt fundraisers have been hosted on our site, helping spread the word about pets in need and raising much needed money for animal shelters, refuges, and rescue organizations. “To celebrate America’s love of animals: August is pets’ month on Booster.com  – time to share the love and to encourage more Americans to actively support animal campaigns, or even launch fundraisers of their own.”

 

America’s Pet Overpopulation Problem

Despite widespread ownership and passion for pets, America’s animals are in crisis. Overpopulation, abuse, and abandonment are rampant, with approximately 7.6 million companion animals entering animal shelters nationwide every year. While 2.7 million of those animals are adopted each year, an equal number of them are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats).

 

Faced with the reality of homeless pets in crisis, more and more individual Americans, groups, and nonprofits are dedicating time, effort and money to protecting and saving forgotten and unwanted animals.  According to the Humane Society of the United States: “If just one of every five Americans wanting to add a cat or dog to their family in the next year adopted from a shelter or rescue, not one single healthy, treatable cat or dog would lose his or her life in a shelter!”

 

Adopt-a-Pet.com – B-Cause: Pets Spotlight Organization
To call attention and encourage citizens to actively do something about the pet problem, Booster’s B-Cause: Pets will spotlight and support a standout animal welfare organization: Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website.

 

Adopt-a-Pet.com is a charity on a mission to help good people connect with great pets from more than 16,500 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the US and Canada. Since 2000, they’ve helped homeless animals of all species be discovered via their online adoptable pet search engine and, to date, have helped hundreds of thousands of family pets find the loving homes they deserve.

 

Adopt-a-Pet.com is participating in B-Cause: Pets initiative by designing and selling a custom t-shirt displaying a fun and catchy slogan (“MY PET THINKS I’M PERFECT”) through its own “B-Cause: Pets Spotlight – Adopt-a-Pet.com” Booster t-shirt fundraiser online at https://www.booster.com/adopt-a-pet.

 

Pet lovers can support Adopt-a-Pet.com by buying shirts and making add-on cash donations at its online fundraiser page. Shirts will be shipped shortly after the campaign ends at the end of August.

 

To show its support for Adopt-a-Pet.com, Booster will donate 100 percent of profits raised in the Adopt-a-Pet.com t-shirt fundraising campaign.

“Booster considered and evaluated over 300 great animal organizations to spotlight for B-Cause: Pets,” said Andrew Moss, president of Booster, LLC. “Ultimately we elected to spotlight Adopt-a-Pet.com due to their extraordinary commitment to helping animal shelter and rescues across the country raise awareness for animals in need. Over 4,000,000 unique visitors a month visit the Adopt-a-Pet.com website to search by zip code and other preferences to see photos and descriptions of pets for adoption in their area. Finding homes for homeless pets since 2000, Adopt-a-Pet.com does that better than anyone!”

“Adopt-a-Pet.com is honored to have been selected as the Spotlight Organization for Booster’s B-Cause: Pets campaign. We’re thrilled that Booster.com has made a commitment to animal welfare, offering pet-lovers a fun and effective new way to raise awareness and money for animal shelters and similar nonprofits,” said Dana Puglisi of Adopt-a-Pet.com. “Our furry family members bring so much joy into our lives and to them, we truly are perfect. Personally, I can’t wait to proudly wear the cool shirt we collaborated on for this campaign to create awareness for the pets who need it most!”

 

B-Cause: Pets – Give Animal Shelters a “Boost”
As a recent article in Animal Sheltering (the official magazine of The Humane Society of the United States) described: more and more Americans are designing and selling t-shirts to “strengthen fundraising efforts” for animal rescue organizations.

Launched by individuals, groups or nonprofits nationwide – t-shirt fundraisers go beyond just raising cash, by also raising awareness, and spirits, as supporters proudly wear their shirts as walking billboards for the shelters they care about.

The B-Cause: Pets campaigns benefit a wide assortment of pet-focused nonprofits based in different locations across the continent, individually focused on a diverse range of animal species, breeds, conditions and organizational objectives. From Adopt a Husky (dedicated to rescuing Siberian huskies in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota) to The Cat Corner, a no-kill shelter in Hampton, Virginia; and from the Tornado Alley Bulldog Rescue in Oklahoma to Pigs Animal Sanctuary in Shepherdstown, WV —nonprofits big and small, from the North, South, East and West (and everywhere in between), are all drumming up support and raising cash for their operations through t-shirt fundraisers this summer.

 

This month (August 2016), Booster’s B-Cause: Pets initiative will highlight more than 60 pet-related social fundraising campaigns (now in process) benefitting a range of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across the United States.

 

See a collection of the #BCausePets Featured Campaigns online at https://booster.com/pets where you can browse through the fun apparel nonprofits are offering (t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, even flannel pajama pants), learn more, and look for a fundraiser you’d like to support.

 

For every $1,000 raised by each of these campaigns, Booster will donate an additional $100.

 

About Adopt-a-Pet.com

Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website. We help over 16,500 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month. Sponsored by the pet lovers at Purina, the Petco Foundation, and Bayer AnimalHealth LLC, we help homeless dogs, cats, and even rabbits and other animals go from alone to adopted. But we don’t stop there. Adopt-a-Pet.com also provides valuable information on the human/companion animal relationship to help keep pets healthy and successfully living in their loving homes. Visit our Facebook page and blog for supportive content and articles, and our YouTube channel for entertaining and informative pet training videos, all produced by our staff of experts in animal training and behavior, as well as human psychology.

 

About Booster

A unique combination of technology and heart, Booster (http://www.booster.com) is the best way to raise money and awareness for your cause, passion or project. Its social fundraising platform provides simple online tools that make it easy to rally support from friends, family and the community. Anyone can use Booster to sell t-shirts or other merchandise without having to buy or handle inventory, and also accept donations for additional support. Booster was created by CustomInk (http://www.customink.com), the leader in custom t-shirts for groups and occasions. Since its launch in 2013, Booster.com has hosted thousands of t-shirt fundraisers raising more than $32 million for worthy causes through supporters’ purchase of more than 1 million shirts and add-on donations. Visit Booster at http://www.booster.com, follow us on Twitter: @BoosterLLC, like us on Facebook, and check us out on YouTube and Pinterest.

 

Media Contacts:

Patrick Rafter for Booster, LLC: prafter@booster.com, 617-901-2697

Dana Puglisi for Adopt-a-Pet.com: Dana@AdoptaPet.com, 323-696-0082

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You don’t want your furry companion to miss out on fun trips. You want your pet to enjoy traveling just as much as you do. That’s why it’s so important to bring everything you need to make traveling comfortable for the entire family — including your four-legged friend. Here are a few simple do’s and don’ts to ensure your pet enjoys your trip.

 

#1 Plan stops.

Make sure your route has plenty of places to stop along the way. Get an idea of how long your trip is going to take beforehand and plan stops ahead of time. Find dog parks along the way so your four-legged companion can exercise before having to hop back in the vehicle.

 

#2 Double-check your packing.

Pack enough pet food for the entire vacation. Toys are always good for keeping your pet amused in the vehicle. If you are using a crate, you might want to make sure you have a potty pad in case of any accidents.

 

#3 Bring entertainment.

A bored pet can distract you from driving. Be sure to keep toys or other forms of pet-related entertainment on hand during your trip. Pack your pet’s favorite chew toy or have someone else sit in the back seat to provide company.

 

#4 Don’t get frustrated.

Long periods of time in a car can confuse your pet. Remain calm and remember to pull over to let your dog use the restroom and get some exercise. Poor behavior can be a sign of pent-up energy. Stay patient with your pet and ensure frequent stops.

 

#5 Keep your pet safe in the car.

There are a number of different products available to keep your pet safe in the vehicle. Even though you don’t plan on being in an accident, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Consider using a dog car seat or harness to keep your pet safely in place and out of harm’s way.

 

Conclusion

There is no reason why you and your canine companion can’t have an amazing vacation together. Your pet is an integral part of your home. As such, you don’t want to leave them out of the festivities. Use these five tips to ensure your trip is a success for you and your pet.

 

Written contribution by Andrea Davis, Home Advisor.

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Mary adored her Dachshund Daisy and always wanted her by her side.  One 85°F day, while the “girls” were out for a car ride, Mary made a quick stop at the convenience store for a jug of milk.  In the store, she encountered a new cashier who was having difficulty working the cash register.  The line of impatient customers grew and Mary was delayed returning to the car and her precious Doxie.  Ten minutes passed and although the windows were cracked open, the temperature inside climbed to 125 degrees!  Daisy was in distress…she was panting profusely, her gums were bright red, her heart was racing, there was foam around her mouth — Daisy was suffering from Heatstroke.

 

Even with windows open, a parked car can quickly reach more than 150 degrees resulting in heat stroke, permanent brain damage or death to your pet. Never leave your dog or cat unattended in the car for even a few minutes.  Pets don’t sweat to regulate their body temperature (100.4̊ F – 102.5̊̊F).   They pant to exchange cooler outside air with the warm humid air in their lungs while cats don’t usually pant until they are overwhelmed by the heat.  If the outside air isn’t cooler than their body temperature, an animal can succumb to Heatstroke which can cause brain damage, kidney failure, cardiac arrest and death.  Old and overweight pets as well as short-nosed breeds are at the greatest risk.

 

An air-conditioned house is safest for your pet, but the next best thing is a well-ventilated/insulated doghouse or a shaded porch with a fan or misting system. Provide fresh water all day long making sure that outside bowls remain in the shade even when the sun moves in the late afternoon. Outside food bowls should be placed in a pan containing a few inches of water to keep ants out.

 

Also remember… Hot concrete & asphalt can burn precious paws! Walk your pets during the cool parts of the day and stick to the grass. If it’s too hot for your bare feet, it’s too hot for paws. Dog shoes are great on hot surfaces for short periods of time, but since heat is expelled from the pads of the feet, you dog is likely to overheat if his paws are covered for long periods on hot days.

 

Preventive Measures:

• Walk dogs during the cooler parts of the day and stick to shady areas and grass.  Even beach sand can burn paws and make a canine body too hot!
• Always make sure pets have a supply of cool fresh water.  If that outdoor water bowl has become a bird bath, is empty or is sitting in the blazing sun, it is not a good source of hydration for Fido!
• Make sure dogs in fenced yards always have shade to retreat to.  Notice the situation at different times of the day and year to make sure the shade cast by your lovely backyard tree isn’t only on the other side of the fence in the neighbor’s yard leaving your dog in the hot sun.
• NEVER leave a dog in a parked car for even a moment.  If he can’t get out with you at every stop, he is better off home in a temperate environment.
• Get to know your groomer!  Blow drying animals in a well-ventilated area is important to their health, and cage dryers (big boxes containing your pet into which air is forced to dry them) must be carefully monitored, so choose a groomer you know has your pet’s best interest at heart.
• Pay particular attention to senior, over-weight and brachycephalic (flat faced) pets who have more difficulty breathing even at comfortable temperatures.

 

Signs & Symptoms include:  Temperature greater than 102° F, heavy panting, gasping, vomiting (if not yet dehydrated), foam around the mouth, weak or high pulse, inability to drink, bright red or suddenly bluish gums and loss of consciousness.

 

 

What to do:

• Move pet to a cooler environment.  Indoors is best with a cool fan blowing on your pet but even a shady sidewalk or grassy area can help.
• Wet the animal with room temperature water (not ice as it restricts blood flow). Think “From the paws up!” getting the skin on the paws, pits, groin and belly skin cooled is most effective in quickly cooling your pet.  Water often skids off fur on breeds with undercoats and does not cool skin when applied to their back.
• If you place your dog or cat into a tub or pool, do not let the water rise higher than the belly.  Immersing him to the neck will cause him to cool too quickly resulting in hyperthermia.
• Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel wiped onto the inner flaps of the ears and pads of the feet has an amazing cooling effect. Do not however douse an animal with an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol. This could cause a sudden change in body temperature and result in Shock.
• Placing a cool pack (or bag of frozen peas) on dog or cat’s neck and groin can prove helpful in cooling him off as the cooled blood flowing through those arteries cools the rest of the body.  Remove pack every few minutes to make sure you don’t cause frostbite to animal’s tissue.
• Never force pet to drink as he could aspirate fluid into his lungs. Dribble a little water from an eye dropper or spray bottle to keep him hydrated.  At the Veterinarian’s office, fluids will likely be administered subcutaneously (under the skin or intravenously).
• Check your pet’s temperature and if it is 104°F or higher, get to the Veterinarian immediately!   Wrap animal in wet sheet or towel, turn on car air conditioning and drive quickly but safely.
• If pet goes unconscious, rub a little honey or Karo Syrup® on his gums to increase blood sugar level, and be prepared to administer CPCR.
• If the pet cools too quickly and temperature drops to 100°F, cover him with a blanket and place a 2-liter bottle filled with warm (not hot) water next to him as you transport him to the Animal ER.

 

Fortunately for Daisy, Mary was trained in Pet First-Aid & CPCR and knew what to do to save the life of her precious Dachshund.  She learned her lesson though and never again took Daisy for a car ride if she’d have to be left alone for even a very short time.

 

In addition to knowing what to do, you must learn the location of your nearest Animal ER and have an up-to-date Pet First-Aid Kit for your pooch or kitty.  Perform a Head-to-Tail check-up weekly feeling for lumps and bumps, noticing the condition of skin and coat and making sure no unusual odors or discharges are coming from any body part.  By getting to know what is normal for your individual dog or cat, you will more quickly notice something ‘not quite right’ and get the help he may desperately need.

 

For 16 years Denise Fleck’s Sunny-dog Ink motto has been “Helping people to help their pets,” and she has…teaching more than 10,000 pet lovers animal life-saving skills and millions more on national television segments, yet better pet parenting is still a secret in many communities.  Therefore, in her 2016 role as Pet Safety Crusader™, Denise will journey across the Southern U.S. beginning September 15^th to “Be the one who makes a difference” by helping large numbers of people help their pets in one concerted effort!  Pet First Aid classes, Pet Disaster Preparedness training and readings of her children’s books will be part of the fun as she travels 10,000 miles to 18 cities — from California to Florida, north to Virginia, across to Tennessee, down to Arkansas and back across the Southwest.  Super hero sponsors are needed to be the ‘wheels beneath her RV.’ Learn more about this epic adventure, Denise’s line of Pet First-Aid Kits, books and instructional posters at www.sunnydogink.com

 

 

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WIN a trip to the home of the Cabbage Patch Kids at BabyLand General® Hospital in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. The Grand Prize Winner and 3 family members will tour the grounds, witness a “live” birth of a Cabbage Patch Kid and enjoy a magical day, complete with the adoption of their very own Cabbage Patch Kid! With more than 130 million ‘Kids adopted over the last 32 years, the Cabbage Patch Kids have been Adoption Ambassadors for decades. In the celebration of adoption and collaboration with Cabbage Patch Kids® and Adopt-a-Pet.com™, Wicked Cool Toys is proud to offer YOU a chance to win this exciting trip!

Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website. They help more than 16,500 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month. Joining the Cabbage Patch family are the Cabbage Patch Kids’ newest best friends, the adorable Adoptimals Pets. Cute, cuddly and looking for a good home, the 8-inch Adoptimals feature pet sounds and a special heart locket that lights up when pressed. In addition to the Grand Prize, 10 Lucky Winners will receive their very own Adoptimal Pet!

Highlighting the program is the launch of Adopt-a-Pet.com’s new microsite created to educate children about the importance of homeless pet adoption and the caring of their newly adopted pet.  The site also features activities and games.  Also, to find locally adoptable pets, visit www.Adopt-a-Pet.com to search the world’s largest non-profit pet search engine featuring hundreds of thousands of adoptable pets of all species from across the United States and Canada.

With a successful launch of an adorable and comprehensive product line in Fall 2015, Wicked Cool Toys  is thrilled to introduce more adoptable love with its groundbreaking, technology-driven CPK Baby So Real, all-new 14” Cabbage Patch Kids, new Adoptimals (the Kids’® furry best friends), 18” Big Kids and more coming to retailers nationwide for Fall 2016.

Check out the Adopt-a-Pet.com and Cabbage Patch Kids Adoptimals microsite and then enter to win!

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One late summer morning, two Scottish Fold kittens were playfully exploring their fenced yard when Rudy caught Abigail off guard and bounded at her from behind the rose bushes.  As Abby took a tumble landing dazed and confused, a bee buzzed passed her.  The twosome, quickly distracted by this new found fun, attempted to play a game of pounce with the tiny flying creature.  Fun did ensue for a few moments, but it then turned nasty as the bee planted his stinger right onto the tip of Rudy’s nose!  The kitten pawed furiously at his face, and as it began to swell, Rudy started looking more like a bulldog than a fluffy kitty!

 

INSECT STINGS

Cats and dogs generally paw at and remove an insect’s stinger when bitten, but should you see one through your pet’s fur coat (or on the nose, lip, paw or elsewhere), scrape it away with a credit card, popsicle stick or similar stiff object.   Pulling the stinger with fingers or tweezers could rupture the poison sac allowing the toxin to enter your pet’s body.  Administer 1 mg Benadryl®* per pound of your dog or cat’s body weight (usually comes in 25mg tablets so a smaller half will suffice for most kitties) and apply a cold pack (a bag of frozen peas works well) to any swelling.  Remove it every 3-5 minutes to prevent frost bite. Should severe swelling or any breathing difficulties develop, get to your veterinarian at once.  If anaphylactic shock occurs (a severe allergic reaction), the tongue may swell making rescue breathing difficult, so don’t delay!

 

Holding pets still for any meds or treatment is not an easy chore, especially if your best friend is a cat, so…first restrain pets by shooing them into a bathroom so that they can’t hide under the bed, and control four paws or claws by swaddling in a towel.  Any animal may bite if she is in pain, so have a properly fitting cat muzzle available because if you are bitten, it becomes a human first aid incident and the four-legged patient won’t get the prompt care she needs.  Well over 50% of cat bites result in their humans needing medical care.

 

Not good at restraining kitty or find your pooch to be an uncooperative patient?  Doing a weekly head-to-tail check-up can acclimate your canine or feline friend to the human touch.  Start slow but regularly giving your pet the ‘once over’ makes him or her a better patient at the veterinarian and during bath time, but most importantly, it allows you to really check her out and find problems BEFORE they become CATastrophes! Refer to last month’s blog on this topic for details.

 

*Just be sure the Benedryl® you administer to your pet does NOT contain Acetaminophen or Pseudoephedrine.

 

SPIDER BITES

Black Widow Spiders terrify us all with their distinctive red hour-glass marking, but rarely are they fatal.  Small dogs and cats generally have bigger issues with the venom due to their size.  Treat bites with ice and Benadryl as you would for a bee sting, and should your pet develop unusual redness, pain, difficulty breathing or paralysis…get to the vet ASAP.

 

Brown Recluse Spiders tend to hide in dark, secluded areas and their venom is known to destroy tissue surrounding the bite.  Approximately 1/2 inch to 2 inches long, the Brown Recluse can be identified by a distinctive fiddle-shaped mark on its back.  When bitten, most animals do not realize it, but after a while redness occurs.  Clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine or povidone iodine. If your best friend appears lethargic, develops a rash, fever, chills, vomiting or diarrhea or if the wound becomes larger or persistent drainage occurs, seek veterinary assistance at once.

 

SNAKE BITES

Another danger to our pets comes in the form of venomous snakes. Their physical appearance varies, but most can be identified by a broad, triangular head, vertical pupils as opposed to round ones (though hopefully you won’t be close enough to evaluate this), and heat-sensing “pits” between the eyes and nostrils which help them locate prey. “Red touches yellow, dangerous fellow; Red touches black, venom lack,” are a few rhymes that can help but learn which venomous serpents cohabit in your part of the world.

Prevention is the best medicine!  While out walking, your best safety device is keeping control of your dog on a leash.  Stay on open paths, and don’t allow your dog to explore holes or dig under logs or rocks where snakes hide (yeah, right — but doing so can prevent much pain, suffering and even death).  Keep pets away from areas covered in ivy and wood piles where snake food (mice) hides!

 

Should your pet gets bitten, assume it is a poisonous bite.   Even if it isn’t, non-venomous snakes transmit bacteria (remember…they eat rodents and don’t brush their teeth) making Veterinary care vital.

 

First-Aid

• Keep the wound at or below the level of the heart.
• Keep your dog or cat calm and carry him if possible.  Increasing your pet’s pulse and respiration also increases the absorption of the venom.
• Immediately call your Animal Emergency Center to make sure they have anti-venin and let them know you’re on the way so that they will start mixing it – it takes 30 minutes to prepare.  Ask if you should administer Benadryl® (usual dose for snake bites is 2 mg per pound of pet’s body weight).
• If possible, identify the type of snake or be able to describe it, but do not get near it.

• DO NOT cut over the fang marks or try to suck out the poison.
• DO NOT move the animal any more than needed.
• DO NOT place an ice pack over the bite which could result in the limb having to be amputated.  Venom is caustic and immediately breaks down tissue and blood cells, so as much as don’t want it traveling to the vital organs, you also do not want the concentration of toxin frozen in one place.

Do you know where your nearest Animal Emergency Hospital is?  Don’t wait until it is too late to find out.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Baby snakes can be just as dangerous as their full-grown counterparts.  They are born with fangs and venom and generally give all they’ve got with each and every bite!

 

Snake Bite Vaccine can buy you time, but you’ll still need to get to your Veterinarian quickly if your dog is bitten.  Vaccinated dogs typically develop protection comparable to a couple vials of anti-venin.

 

 

 

Denise Fleck is an award winning author and freelance writer.  After extensive training, practice, more training and more practice, she developed her own Pet First-Aid & CPCR, Senior Pet Care and Pet Disaster Preparedness curriculum and has been teaching animal life-saving skills for 16 years with many success stories to share.  She also created a 5-month Animal Care course for high school students in conjunction with the Burbank Unified School District and Animal Shelter.  She has demonstrated animal life-saving skills on CBS –TV’s “The Doctors,” Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss,” “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” and other shows and is emBARKing on a 10,000-mile Southern U.S. Pet Safety Tour this Fall.  Visit www.sunnydogink.com to find out if she’ll be stopping in a city near YOU!

 

Summer is the perfect time for fetch, runs, hikes and lots of other fun activities with your dog. But it’s important to remember to keep your pet safe during warmer weather. Here are five tips to keep your pup safe and happy this summer:

1. Provide a cool place to rest.

Give your dog a place to escape the heat. Some dogs love relaxing on tile floors to cool their bodies. You might consider converting your bathroom or part of your basement into a pet relaxation area. Put your dog’s favorite toys in the designated room for some familiarity. Sun-blocking curtains also cool your pets.

 

2. Create a doorway.

Outdoor temperatures can rise quickly. Never leave your dog outside alone for long periods of time, especially in the summer. Consideradding a doggy door to give your pup freedom to go in and out to the yard while keeping your cool air conditioning inside.

 

3. Avoid hot cars.

Even with the windows cracked, cars can heat up quickly. Leave your pet at home or take your dog with you inside the store to avoid harming your furry friend. If you see a dog in a car this summer, check out these tips from theHumane Society.

 

4. Keep your pet hydrated.

Always have water available for your dog. When you go out, carry an extra bottle of water and a container. Keep your pup’s water bowl in the shade so the water stays cool. You can also mix in ice to keep the water cold.

 

5. Avoid sunburns.

Avoid subjecting your dog to long periods of direct sunlight. Noses, ear tips and skin around the lips are sensitive to sun. You can use specially formulated sunscreens or just keep your dog inside during hot weather to avoid sunburns.

 

Conclusion

Summer should be fun and safe for everyone. When you’re getting ready for a trip outdoors, or just a comfortable day at home, keep your dog’s needs in mind. That way you can avoid an emergency trip to the vet or a potential injury.

 

Written contribution by Andrea Davis, Home Advisor.

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This adorable little guy knows just how important the info in For Dog’s Sake! is. This book is chock full of great tips for dog owners that could potentially save a life. And the best part? For every book purchase made before the end of the month, the author will make a donation to Adopt-a-Pet.com to help homeless pets. Yep, how cool is that?!

Get your copy here: www.fordogssake.rocks

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