Dog Swimming Safety Tips

They didn't coin the term "doggy paddle" because canines stay on shore. Many dogs enjoy swimming as much as people do, and cool times in the local swimming spot are irreplaceable summer experiences. But you have to look out for your pet around water, since even the strongest, most enthusiastic swimmers can get into trouble. The keys to water safety for dogs are prevention, preparedness and awareness.


Prevention

No dog should be given unsupervised access to a backyard pool, neighborhood pond or creek. Swimming pools are best fenced off for safety. If that's not possible, they should be equipped with alarms that sound when the surface of the water is broken by a child or pet falling in and a ramp to help them find their way out.

Prevention also means teaching your pet what to do when he's in the pool. Dogs don't always understand that the steps are on a certain side, and they may tire while trying to crawl their way out. If your pet likes to swim, work with him in the pool to help him learn where the steps are so he can get out easily. Some breeds of dogs, such as bulldogs, pugs and basset hounds, do not have the body conformation to make them natural swimmers, and may need to be taught how to swim.

Obedience training is extremely important. Your dog should come when called, even when swimming. Emergency shortcut: Always carry extra retrieving toys. A dog who's heading into a dangerous area after a ball or stick can often be lured back to shore with a second item. It's no substitute for training, but it could save your dog's life.

Preparedness
Before letting your dog swim in natural surroundings, survey the area for safety. Rivers and oceans can change frequently, and an area that was once safe for swimming can become treacherous. Consider currents, tides, underwater hazards and even the condition of the water. In the late summer, algae scum on the top of standing water can be toxic, producing substances that can kill a pet who swallows the water. When in doubt, treat it like you would a child: better safe than sorry.

One of the best things you can do is to take courses in pet first aid and CPR. Many local Red Cross chapters offer these classes, and some veterinarians in your community may teach them. A near-death dog rescued from the water may be saved by your prompt actions — if you know what to do.

If your dog isn't much of a swimmer or is older or debilitated, get him a personal floatation device. These are especially great for family boating trips, because most have sturdy handles for rescue when a pet goes overboard.

Awareness
Be aware of your dog's condition as he plays. Remember that even swimming dogs can get hot, so bring fresh water and offer it at every opportunity. When your dog is tiring, call it a day. A tired dog is a good dog, but an exhausted dog is in danger of drowning.
Be particularly careful with young and old dogs. Young dogs can panic in the water, and old dogs may not realize they aren't as strong as they used to be. Keep them close to shore, and keep swimming sessions short

By Gina Spadafori  June 28, 2010
Find this article at Vetstreet:  http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/dog-swimming-safety-tips

Cleaning Litter Boxes

I recently saw Dr. Lee at my continuing education seminar.  She was not only very entertaining, but knowledgeable and presented useful everyday information!!!

How Often Do I Really Need To Clean My Cat's Litter Box?

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DAVCECC, DABT

Posted February 15, 2013 in Cat Health

Who knew there was so much to kitty litter? Dr. Justine Lee provides some valuable litter box advice. For more from Dr. Lee, find her on Facebook!

Last week, we talked about adding the appropriate number of litter boxes to your house. Well, just because you added n+1 litter boxes doesn’t mean you can clean less frequently! We neurotic types clean litter boxes daily. If that’s too much for you, litter boxes should be scooped out at least every other day. Of course, this depends on how many cats you have. The more cats you have, the more frequently the boxes should be scooped out. While it’s a dirty job, it really should be done for the best interest of your cat(s).

If you notice your cat scratching outside the litter box instead of inside (“What’s a cat gotta do to get you to clean the litter box? Helllllo!”), it’s his way of telling you that the litter box is disgusting and he doesn’t want to get his feet filthy while he’s “attempting” to cover up his poop inside. If you just cleaned the litter box and he’s still doing it, it’s likely from a bad memory of getting soaked or dirty while in the box, so unless you want a pet that poops in random places, get in there and scoop.

Some cats will “hold it” and urinate as infrequently as possible to avoid stepping into a dirty, filthy, full litter box. Instead of urinating two to three times a day, your cat will tighten up and only go once a day. This makes his urine get more concentrated and could make crystals and urine debris plug up and cause him to get a life-threatening feline urethral obstruction (FUO). With FUO, cats may have stones, crystals, or mucous plugs in their urethra that prevent them from being able to urinate. Not only is this painful, but it can also lead to temporary kidney failure, electrolyte abnormalities, vomiting, lethargy, cardiac arrhythmias, and death. So to help prevent problems like this or even diseases like feline lower urinary tract disease or sterile cystitis (e.g., feline urinary tract disease or FLUTD), scoop!

The other added benefit of scooping frequently is that it helps you detect medical problems earlier. If your cat isn’t urinating, you’ll notice when there’s no urine in the litter box for two days. If your cat becomes a diabetic, he may be making larger and larger clumps and your whole litter box will be one huge clump after its weekly cleaning. But you’ll never be able to tell this if you’re not scooping enough. If your cat is acting constipated or having diarrhea, you won’t find out until days later, and by then it’ll be a bigger (and more expensive) medical treatment! As tedious as it is, please do your wife a favor and flush, and your cat a favor and scoop.

So, how do you scoop? I realize that sounds like a stupid question, but I’m often shocked how people are erroneously “scooping.” Some clients tell me they dump out the whole litter box (and all that clumping litter) every week. Yikes – no need folks! You and your cat’s carbon footprints are contributing to the overfilled landfills and making Al Gore very angry. Not only is this expensive, but it’s really wasteful. If you really want to know, I only completely empty and bleach out the litter box a few times year or so.

My tip? Use clumping litter if you’re not sure what your cat prefers, since studies have shown that cats prefer this type of litter the best. (More on “Clay, clumping, and crystal kitty litter: Which should I choose?” next week!). Next, keep an empty container (e.g., a 5 pound bucket that used to contain kitty litter), line it with a plastic bag, and use a scoop to scoop out the urine clumps and feces every day. Dump the clumps directly into the empty container, and voila: you just have to dump the plastic bag once a week. It makes it oh so easy to scoop, contains the smell in the empty bucket, and saves a few plastic bags while making it more convenient to scoop. As the kitty litter box becomes emptier, just add in clean clumping kitty litter. No need to dump out precious, expensive, eco-unfriendly full boxes when cleaning – just scoop out the dirty and add in clean.

Here is the actual url, she has several embedded links. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/lifestyle/how-often-do-i-really-need-clean-my-cats-litter-box

Dr. Ernie Ward sits in hot car for 30 minutes!!

Dr. Ernie Ward has recorded a video of himself in a parked HOT car for 30 mins. This is only a 5 minute video, so please watch from start to finish. It is a wonderful 'eye-opening' video.  It makes you realize just has distressing and dangerous leaving your pet in the car is!!  Just look how hot and sweaty he is at 10 minutes!!! NO ONE can get in and out of a store in 10 minutes!  Please, please don't leave your pets in a parked car....

West Nile Information

     

I just got this notice in my inbox about West Nile and thought I would pass it on to my blog readers.  I know it hasn't been on the news that much this year but that doesn't mean that people aren't still dying from West Nile infections.  Below they talk about environmental control but also remember to spray yourself with a DEET containing product before you go outside.  And remember DO NOT spray your dog with DEET, it is not safe.  There are several veterinary labeled products(Advantix) that are effective in mosquito repelling that are labeled safe for dogs.  Call your veterinarian with any questions or concerns.    

WEST NILE VIRUS ADVISORY FOR VETERINARIANS AND THEIR PATRONS

o   Mosquitoes may breed in water sources such as animal watering troughs.

§  If mosquito larvae are observed in the water, they can be treated.

§  Animal troughs may be treated with Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis available at most garden stores) or the water can be changed every third to fourth day to prevent emergence of adult mosquitoes.

§  Mosquitoes can also breed in hollows in the ground created by animal hooves; these should be filled in with soil or another suitable material to eliminate the holes.

o    Some pet birds and poultry may also be susceptible to WNV.

§  Make sure there are screens on windows where birds are kept and be not sure to keep doors open.

§  Avoid keeping lights on around birdcages at night. This reduces the likelihood of attracting mosquitoes.

These are trusted sources for additional West Nile virus information:

·         http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ccah/health_information/west_nile.cfm

·         http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8158.pdf

·         http://www.aaep.org/wnv.htm

·         http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html

·         Take Control - Stop West Nile Virus

Should you need additional information, you may contact Tarrant County Public Health at 817-321-4879 or the Texas Department of State Health Services Region 2/3 office at 817-264-4500.