In my world, everyday is Be Kind to Animals week.  As a pet sitter it’s my job – that’s why I became a pet sitter.  I’ve always had a special relationship with dogs and feel that we need them as much as they need us.

Annie and Tommy

Be Kind to Animals Week was started in 1915 by American Humane to celebrate the relationship we have with our pets and to educated people on how to treat them with kindness and love.  I couldn’t image a world without pets. The joy and love they bring to our lives everyday can’t be measured.  It’s constant and so complete.  You can always count on a dog to lift your spirits and fill your heart with so much love that you think it’s going to burst!

It’s only right that we help other people who may not feel the same way to treat our furry friends with kindness.

As my part for this week, I devoted my ezine to adopting or getting a new dog.  If you want to do your part, here’s what American Humane suggests.  They also instruct you on how to accomplish these suggestions when you click on the learn more button.

Speak out for the animals:  This can be done through legislation, reporting animal abuse (see my prior post about animal abuse) or just speaking out on animal issues that you’re passionate about.  They have an Action Alert if your interested in knowing more about policies and legislation.

Respect wildlife in your own backyard: I know there are lots of pests that eat gardens and plants such as rabbits and deer, but there are humane ways to deter them from your door.  The American Humane has lots of suggestion how to humanely get rid of unwanted animals in your yard.  Or, how about starting a butterfly garden or have bird houses so they have a safe place to live.

Rescue of pet from a shelter: In my opinion, this should always be your first choice when getting a new pet.  Not only are you being kind, but in some cases, you’re saving their life.  All they want is someone to take them home and give them the love they deserve.  It’s a win-win situation. 

Taking care of your pet: Once you get your pet from the shelter, you have to give them the very best.  Number one on that list is nutritional pet food.  This is the foundation of their health and you can avoid costly vet bills if they are getting the proper nutrition.  Get a soft, warm pet bed, brush their teeth on a regular basis, give their coat a good brushing, bathe them, take them on daily walks, provide them with adequate shelter, shade and water, make sure they have their identification including getting them micro chipped and get them the vaccinations they need to keep them healthy and happy.

Most of all love them with all your heart and the love they give back to you is nothing short of miraculous.

Chris L Wagner

I recently did a dog walk with Ty a sweet Border Collie/Queensland healer, and realized that the weather was changing.  I was sweating and could really feel the heat.  That reminded me of when I lived in Mesa, Arizona and had to walk my dog Nikki before 6:30 am or after it got dark due to the excessive heat.  It could be over 90 degrees by 7:00 am!  I’m glad I’m back in California.

Sweet Ty

It’s getting to be that time when we have to rearrange our walking schedule so we don’t over heat our dogs and cause them to have heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

What is Heat Stroke (Hyperthermia)?

Heat stroke is when a dogs body temperature is severely elevated over 104 degrees.  This usually occurs in the Spring and Summer months when the temperature is warmer and your dog isn’t used to the weather yet.  This condition can be fatal, so please take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible if they exhibit any of the follow symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Heat Stroke?

• Body Temperature is over 104 degrees

• Your pet collapses

• They are acting like they’re depressed or in a stupor

• They have bloody diarrhea or are vomiting

• Their capillary refill time is to quick.  When you press your finger on your pets gums they will turn white.  Take your finger off the gum and they should turn pink again.  This should take 1 to 2 seconds. If less than 1 second or over 3 seconds, it is deemed an emergency.

• Difficulty breathing or panting

• Increased Heart Rate – Puppies 1 year and younger should have a heat beat of 120-160 beats per minute – Small dogs, 30 pounds or less should have a heartbeat of 100-140 beats per minute and larger dogs, more than 30 pounds should have a heartbeat of 60-100 BPM.

• Increased Respiratory Rate – Normal breathing rates should be between 10 to 30 breaths per minute.  When panting heavily, it could go up to 200 breaths per minute.

• Check their gums and inner eyelids.  If they are redder than usual, or if you see blue, pale, yellow, dark red, white or brown, it’s an emergency.

• Heavy Salivation

Thanks Buddy, the water feels good!

What can you do?

• Take your dog’s temperature  – should be under 104 degrees

• Spray your dog with a garden hose for a minute or two, but make sure you run it for a while so that you’re not spraying him with hot water.  Take his temperature again.

• Soak towels in cool water and apply them to his head, neck, feet, chest and abdomen.

• Run 70% isopropyl alcohol on his paws, however do not use more than one pint as it might be toxic if they lick their paws and ingest the alcohol.

• Turn on a fan and let the breeze flow over your dog.

• Take your dog to the nearest veterinarian even if you get your dogs temperature down.  The effects can lead to sever medical conditions such as kidney failure and neurological problems to name a couple.

Other Tips for keeping your dog cool in the Summer months

• Make sure you have plenty of fresh water on hand.  Dogs can only get rid of heat by panting and through the pads of their feet as they do not have sweat glands.

• Never leave your dog in a car even with the windows cracked.  In Summer months, the car can reach temperature of over 120 degrees and can be fatal to dogs and people alike.

• Short snouted dogs such as Bulldogs, Boxers and Pugs can get heat stroke at much lower temperatures.  Always walk them in the early morning or later at night.
  

  Man, it's hot out here!

• Make sure your dog gets acclimated to warmer weather.  Running and exercise that you used to do in the Winter may not be a good idea with higher temperatures.

• Make sure your dog has ample shade and/or shelter if left outside with plenty of water.

• If appropriate, shave thick coated dogs in the Summer months.

• Dogs with a history of seizures, upper airway, heart or lung disease may be more susceptible to heat stroke.

• Consider getting dog booties if you have to walk on concrete.

• Don’t forget your sunscreen for dogs.  They can burn just like people do especially if they have short coats with exposed skin.

Dogs, fun and Summer go hand in hand, but adding a little caution into the mix is a can’t hurt.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover to Another

Waggy’s Eco Smart Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting Service

Where I live in Northern California, Spring and Summer is synonymous with baby rattlesnakes.  We have many nature trails to walk our dogs in my town and I’ve seen snakes sunning themselves on the trails many times.  Let me tell you, they put the fear of God in you!

Copperhead Snake

This information was obtained in my Dog First Aid booklet from the American Red Cross.  All responsible dog and cat owners should take a class at least every other year.  If you don’t have a Red Cross Chapter near you, you can take classes from independent sources like PetTech.net.  Pet First Aid kits should also be a must in your home.  PetFinder.com has a list to make your own or you can purchase one from Amazon.com are good sources for kits.

Venomous Snakes in the United States – Pit Vipers

Rattlesnakes: Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties, but they are most identified with a jointed rattle on the tail and a triangular head.  They usually get up to 3-4 feet in length, sometimes longer.  Most are found in the Southwestern US, but some variety can be found in every contiguous state.

Rattlesnake

Copperheads: Copperheads do not have a rattle and are about 4 feet long in adulthood.  They are most characterized by their deep coppery orange color on their heads.  Also known as a Highland Moccasin and found mainly in the Eastern US.

Cottonmouths: Cottonmouths or Water Moccasins are about 4 feet in length with a dark body and the inside of their mouth is bright white.  They are found by rivers, wetlands and lakes usually in South Carolina.

Coral Snakes: Coral Snakes are known for their colorful banding of red, yellow and black and can be found in the Southern and Eastern US.  They grow up to 3 feet in length.  Remember, “if red touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow”  meaning if the red and yellow bands touch on the Coral Snake it’s the real deal and is venomous.

Coral Snake

What to do to avoid a snake bite

Keep your dog on a leash when walking outside or away from your home.

Don’t let them wander off into high brush and grass.

If you’re in a high risk area, bring a walking stick with you to stir up the brush and let the snakes know your coming and wear high boots.

If appropriate, enroll your dog in a Rattlesnake Avoidance Classes that can be taught from local dog trainers.

If you see a snake on your walk, just turn around and go the other way.  That happened to me and I didn’t care how far out of the way it took me.  It scared the life out of me to be honest!

Keep them away from streams and riverbeds.  Snakes like to hide in the tall grasses along the water.

Know where your nearest emergency Vet clinic is in your area.

Get a Snake Vaccine from your local vet if necessary.

Cottonmouth Snake

Signs and Symptoms – according to The American Red Cross

Bleeding puncture wound

Blood does not clot

Breathing stops

Bruising or sloughing of the skin over the bitten area

Fang marks may or may not be visible, due to the dogs hair

Neurological signs such as twitching and drooling

Pain

Reddening

Signs of Shock

Swelling of the bitten area.  This can be severe and progress for more than a day.

What to do if your dog is bitten

If you can, try to identify the snake type, but be aware that the venom can still be lethal for up to 1 1/2 hours even if the snake has been decapitated.

Perform pet CPR and check the dogs vital signs.  You will learn this in your First Aid for Dogs class.

Keep the dog calm and carry them, if possible, home and to your car.  The toxins spread faster throughout their body when they are moving.

DO NOT try to suck the venom out of the wound.  DO NOT use ice on the area and DO NOT us a tourniquet.

Take your dog immediately to the Vet or Emergency Vet Clinic as time is of the essence.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover to Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Spring is here and the flowers are blooming and the plants are coming to life.  Are you enjoying it or are your eyes watering and you’re sneezing?  Yes, allergy season is upon us.  Luckily, I only get mild symptoms, but for some, it’s a miserable time.

How about your pets – do they get allergies?  Of course they do.  Grasses, insects, molds and weeds to name a few can lead your pet to scratch, bite and sometimes cause open sores on their bodies.

When my  late dog Nikki was little, she used to scratch all the time and get hot spots.  I was a new dog owner and would literally follow her around to see where she was scratching and spray some medicine on it.  It got to the point that she would stop scratching when she saw me coming or would go out of site to scratch!  I was very annoying .  Around 4 years of age, she grew out of it and didn’t have any more problems with the hot spots.

My little Nikki in her later years

The most common types of allergies in dogs are Food, Contact, Inhalant , Bacterial, and Flea Allergies.

Food Allergy

Pet food has come a long way to removing ingredients that pets can be allergic to such as corn, wheat and grains.  It is believed that if they are introduced to these too early of an age they may always be allergic to it.  Mold is sometime inherited with grains because they are stored for long periods of time in grain silos.  The symptoms from food allergies usually manifest themselves as digestive problems or skin problems.

To treat food allergies, you have to start by eliminating the food they’re eating and give them a chicken and rice diets (or whatever your vet recommends).  Vets can also prescribe hypoallergenic packaged dog food.  Slowly, one by one start adding in other foods.  Starting your pet out in life with  a nutrient rich, holistic pet food may be your best defense to food allergies.

Contact Allergy

Contact Allergies are the least common type of allergies.  This is usually caused by a chemical such as  flea products, disinfectants and even types of bedding such as beds filled with cedar.  To treat  a contact allergy is to remove the substance that’s causing it.  However, if it’s not readily apparent what the substance is, you might have to do some detective work.

Flea - A face only a mother could love

Inhalant Allergy

Inhalant Allergies are triggered by the things we get allergies from, pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, mold, mildew and dust mites.  Instead of getting a runny nose and sneezing, dogs manifest their symptoms through their skin.  This can cause itching, scratching, shaking their heads or rubbing their ears or muzzle and licking.  Depending on what they are allergic to, symptoms could last for a few weeks for seasonal allergies or longer.

To find out what is causing the allergy, your pet can go through testing by injecting possible allergens, or do a blood test and send it to a lab so they determine what your pet is allergic to.

Treatments for Inhalant allergies  are:

Anti-Inflammatory therapy using steroids/cortisone.  This will block the allergic reaction in most cases.

Flea Free Shampoo

Shampoo Therapy: Shampooing frequently with a hypo allergic or natural dog shampoo made for this reason can help considerably.  Antigens can be absorbed through the skin and it is thought that frequent shampooing can lessen the absorption and also quickly relieve the itching by removing surface antigens.

Hypo sensitization is basically allergy shots.  By giving your pet small amounts of the antigen, it’s hoped that weekly shots can retrain the body’s immune system to become desensitized and lessening the effects of the allergy substance.

Flea Allergy

By far flea allergies are the most common type.  To most dogs fleas are just a pain in the rump, but for some, it can cause intense itching and cause them to scratch until they have an open sore.  This in turn can cause other secondary infections.  If your dog in severely allergic by the fleas saliva, it’s best to remove all fleas.  Easier said than done.  There are several spot on medications you can purchase such as Frontline, however spot on flea medication has come under some scrutiny in the past months.  There are natural flea shampoos,  and Diatomaceous Earth.   In some cases steroids can be prescribed.

Bacterial Allergy

Staph bacteria is common in dogs.  For some it’s not a problem, but if their immune system is comprised, it can become a severe problem and invade the deeper layers of the skin.  This infection is called pyoderma.  The symptoms are hair loss, raised circular lesions, flaky skin.  This staph infection can occur as a secondary infection from the scratching and itching from other allergic reactions.

The treatment is usually antibiotics, topical and oral medications.  Providing a natural, holistic pet food can bolster the immune system so that a staph infection can’t escalate.

Chris L Wagner

From One Pet Lover to Another

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting Service

Waggy’s Holistic Pet Food

Have you ever noticed when dogs sleep on your bed, they usually lay right between your legs and put you in the most uncomfortable positions?  However, I  have to go on record saying that I love when my boarders sleep in our bed with us.  Of course they can’t all sleep on our bed – that’s why I have my two boys take some of the dogs.  They actually fight over which dog will get to sleep with them.

With that said, not all dogs are good candidates for sleeping on the human bed.

5 good reasons why Fido may not be welcome on the bed:

Excessive licking! I’ve been woken up by the wonderful sound (not) of a dog licking their paws or other areas!  Bigger dogs can even rock the bed back and forth.  Stress, boredom or a medical problem can lead to excessive licking.  Elicit the help of a professional dog behaviorist, vet or trainer that can help you with this problem.  Usually a good nudge will stop them.

My Sitter Wendy in Bed with Some Friends

Small Bladder – Some dogs can’t or won’t hold their bladder the entire night.  This too could be caused by a medical condition such as a Urinary Tract Infection/Bladder Infection. Also, young puppies have a hard time holding their bladder.  Either way, you can get up a couple times a night or a better idea would be to put them in a crate or enclosed in an area with a gate – preferably on tile and maybe with some pee pads.  Of course you’ll need a soft, comfortable dog bed for Fido to sleep on.

Nervous, fidgety or hyper behavior.  Sometimes when we get a new dog boarding with us, they can be nervous, and it’s hard for them to settle down.  They jump on and off the bed and roam aimlessly around the house.  Both of those actions make it hard for me to sleep especially if I don’t know what the dog is up to as they check out the house all night!  They usually calm down the second night, but a crate may be an option in this case also.  If your dog does this every night, he may not be getting enough exercise during the day.  Make sure they go to the dog park or get a nice, long walk everyday.

Old, Injury or weak hindquarters – When my late dog got older, she no longer could jump on the bed with us.  It was a sad transition for us and we really missed her being close.  Dog leg injuries or other medical conditions can also prevent them from jumping up and down on the bed or other furniture.  Please consult your vet in these situations.  Again, make the transition smoother by getting them proper bedding and put it close to you on the floor so they know your not too far away.

A typical night at my sitter Frank's house

Aggression towards you or your bed partner.  I’ve heard many stories about dogs that won’t let your spouse near you and will growl and/or try to bite.  According to Pat Miller, CPDT and training editor of the Whole Dog Journal, “Never punish your dog for growling.  Punishment is likely to make his behavior worse because your aggression will add to his stress”.  This doesn’t mean they are automatically banished from the bed, but you will need to bring in a professional that can help you counter condition this behavior.  Tread carefully on this one – you don’t want to make the situation worse.

So, if you do have kick Fido off the bed, please make sure you get them a good, comfortable dog bed that fits them properly.  If your dog likes to stretch out, buy a little bigger bed than needed.  I know money is tight these days, but this isn’t where your want to scrimp.  If you’ve ever slept on an uncomfortable bed, you know how important it is to sleep in comfort especially for those older or injured dogs.

Now go take a nap!

Chris L Wagner

Waggy’s Eco Pet Products

Waggy’s Pet Sitting

Waggy’s Pet Tips and Tales Blog

Waggy’s Holistic Pet Food