Entry bubble Caring for Your Pet

By: Joanne | January 06, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

close up of my cat's faceI know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure that our cat understands English. I’m not just talking about tone of voice stuff, but she knows what I’m talking about. When it’s my daughter’s bedtime, she comes running to me when I ask her if she’s ready to snuggle with Bailey, but last week she had a vet appointment and I spent 25 minutes searching the house from top to bottom and couldn’t find her anywhere. She heard me talking about the appointment that morning and even an open can of tuna couldn’t coax her out of her secret hiding spot.

She’s a naughty girl, but because we love her, I secretly rescheduled the appointment. When you have a pet that you care about, you want to care for her as well as you can. Keeping your pet healthy and pain free is best for them, but it’s important for your health as well since some animal diseases can be transferred to humans.

Routine veterinary care is pretty affordable for most of us, but if your pet develops an illness or gets an injury, the costs can be shocking. If you’re a pet owner, you may want to consider health insurance for your pet. I’ve never had pet insurance, but I have a friend whose beloved dog developed an autoimmune disorder and I’m certain that the vet bills were thousands of dollars. It’s pretty scary.

We’re not going to miss the vet appointment this week. This time I was smart and wrote it on the calendar but won’t mention it. I’m pretty sure she can’t read.

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Entry bubble Tips for Keeping Pets Safe This Summer

By: Stephanie | June 17, 2008 | Category: Health

There's a new notice on the door of my neighborhood supermarket: "Don't Leave Pets in Hot Cars." As I read the sign, I learned that it's more than a gentle reminder—apparently it's the law in my county. king charles cavalier sitting on a beach with sunglassesEven though my 40-year-old pet turtle seems to like temperatures as hot as possible, the warm weather brings hazards to many of our warm-blooded pets that we may not even think about.

Like the sign on my supermarket door advises, don't leave your pets in the car when it's hot outside. In my county, people can be charged with animal cruelty if their pets are left in a vehicle, even with the windows cracked, if the temperature is above 70 degrees (which can get much hotter in a matter of seconds). Since dogs and cats are less efficient at cooling themselves, they react to the high temperatures and humidity faster than humans.

According to the Army Medical Department, signs that your pet is having a heat injury include a bright red tongue; thick, sticky saliva; rapid panting; and weakness, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and shock. If your pet is overheating, you can lower its temperature by hosing it off with a garden hose or placing it in a sink or tub of cold water. Move the pet to a cool environment and contact your vet.

Another Army website reminds owners to provide shade and plenty of cool, clean water for pets staying outside, and to bring them inside during the hottest part of the day (if not simply keep them inside all day when it's especially hot). Exercise pets in the cool of the day, and be alert to hot pavement that can burn their feet.

If you take your dog to the beach, provide it with a shaded area and plenty of fresh drinking water, and rinse it off if it's been in salt water. And don't forget that pets with light-colored noses and fur can get sunburn, too.

The summer brings some other hazards to our four-legged friends, too, including cars leaking antifreeze and coolant that can taste sweet to a pet but be deadly, even in small amounts. And ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are most prevalent in the warm weather. As fellow GovGabber Colleen notes, check your pets to be sure they don't have ticks on them. Don't use human repellents that contain DEET on animals—check with a vet for the appropriate products. Lyme disease vaccines are available for dogs (my pup received the vaccine). Pueblo.gsa.gov offers information for both people and pets on the disease.

As we approach the Fourth of July, be sure to keep your pets indoors during fireworks, which can frighten them and damage their sensitive hearing.

Do you have any other tips for keeping pets safe this summer?

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