Pet  Pause
News and Information for you and all your best friends.

Buffalo, New York – June 18, 2008 –June 21st marks the beginning of summer and all of those situations that can create havoc for your pet and you. Heat, humidity, travel, fleas, ticks. PetMD.org, the 3-D digital magazine dedicated to pet health care, has issued its Top 10 Summer Pet Health Tips to help you enjoy the summer with your pets. Here are their tips:

1. Water…have it in multiple locations for your pet. Water bowls can turn over easily, get dirt in them or grow bacteria and your pet can be left without cool, fresh, clean water. Keep the toilet seat down because chemicals and bacteria can be harmful to your pet.

2. Do not leave your pet in the car. Do not leave your pet in the car as it takes only a few minutes…even as low as in the 60’s or 70’s on a sunny day for the auto to get hot…even with cracked windows…plus it is against the law in many states including California which can result in fines and jail time.

Even with the AC on, the auto system may shut down and leave your pet to bake.  Pets can not cool down as fast and a dog with heat stress can die quickly.

If you suspect heat stroke—symptoms include lack of coordination, heavy panting, fever, disorientation or dizziness—cool your pet with cool water (towels, hose, ice pack), let it lick the ice cubes, and go to your vet immediately…call your vet even if your pet appears to have recovered because it can still be affected.

3. Know your pet’s heat tolerance. Heat and humidity are factors in determining your pet’s heat tolerance. Since age, health, obesity and type of breed or type of pet factor into tolerance, you should monitor your pet carefully during hot weather.

Ferrets prefer the 60’s, rodents below 75, birds below 85, rabbits below 80, and fish whose body temperature is determined by the temperature of the water, is generally between 70 and 80—depends of the type and even a degree or two can make a difference so you should know what temperature is best for your fish. Keep the fish tank away from windows that might result in the tank water heating up.

Dogs and cats—whose normal body temperature is between 100 and 102.5—don’t do well in heat,especially if they get dehydrated. Cats sweat through their paws and will lick themselves to cool down, become inactive, as well as seek cool places, however, above 85 or 90 degrees they can get stressed. Dogs do not lose heat as fast as humans, therefore, heat can become a health risk quickly.

4. Throw away uneaten pet food. Bacteria grows faster when it is hot, so uneaten pet food should be thrown out. More frequent, smaller portions may be appropriate during the summer.

(Special Virginia Greene note here.  Uneaten food left outside can draw animals such as bears into your yard.  this can be a real problem in rural and suburban areas.)

5. Know what is toxic to your pet. Plants can harm your pet—these include dieffenbachia, holly, philodendron, hyacinth, poinsettias, hibiscus, amaryllis, English Ivy, and some types of lilies (deadly for cats) just to name a few.

Household items such as antifreeze on driveways, medications, electrical cords and pesticides are also harmful. Foods that can harm your pet include chocolate, onions, coffee, nicotine, alcoholic beverages, poultry bones, fatty foods and grapes/raisins.

6. PET ID and contact info on your pet. There is nothing more disheartening than a lost pet… especially when you see signs posted. Pets are more active in the summer, chase other animals, can be with you traveling in an unfamiliar place…and end up lost. The pet’s name and your phone number (cell—fastest way to reach you) on its collar can be a lifesaver. National pet registries are also available.

7. Check your pet for fleas, ticks, mites. Check and groom your pet daily (cats, dogs) to make sure that they do not have fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm (from mosquitoes), bites, or other infections or rashes from being outdoors. Plus, brush their teeth and check their ears.

When the temperature is 65+ and the humidity is 75+, fleas are in season. While tiny, you can see “flea dirt” which looks like dark specks.  Heartworm from infected mosquitoes—in dogs, cats, ferrets and humans---does not show many symptoms initially but eventually symptoms include a cough, weight loss, fainting, and weakness.

It can take months or even years to manifest itself…and detection can be done by a blood test and you can get preventive medicine from your veterinarian.

8. Groom your pet daily. Grooming your pet daily in the summer will help your pet stay cooler, provide inspection for health problems and it reduces hairballs in cats. Brushing your pet’s teeth is also a health aid. Ferrets can get fleas---check with your vet on how to treat them as regular flea collars and shampoos may not be appropriate for ferrets…and baths generally should be infrequent.

Also check for ear mites, wash their bedding, and make sure they have multiple sources of water.

9. Keep fish tanks away from sunlight. The temperature of fish is directly affected by water temperature. If the sun heats the water, it can harm fish.

10. Pet walking…do it in the early morning or evening. In southern climates when it is very hot, or now with global warming many areas of the US, try to walk or exercise your pet in the morning or early evening when it is cooler.

PetMD.org – 3- D Digital Magazine for quick and easy access to pet health care information including pet health symptoms, breed health conditions, pet travel, cat and dog years to people, preventive care for pets, pet health news, YouTube pet videos, things that are toxic to pets, pet life expectancy, vet costs, vet and breed locators and overweight and older dog and cat health. The site currently offers pet care information on dogs, cats and birds and will include fish, reptiles, snakes and small animals by the end of 2008.

PetMD.org’s 3-D approach offers pet health information, pet health news, and mini-articles of interest to allow for users to learn about health problems their pets may be having as well as a “magazine” aspect that provides information that is very interesting—from why cats purr, can cats see in the dark, cats and catnip to hearing how various breeds of canaries sing to YouTube pet videos, and a “news” aspect that will keep them update on breaking pet health news. PetMD.org is owned by Sterling Worldwide of Buffalo, NY.

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