kireys-sanantonio

10 Summer Safety Tips for Dogs

info@antares.systems (Jose Cabrero) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 23:07:33 GMT

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Pet Health Network Contributors

Help your pooch make the most out of summer

Dog Checkups & Preventive Care

Our pets love summer just as much as we do! For many, it’s the best time of year to be out, about, and enjoying all that the season has to offer.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with taking your pet out for picnics, hikes, swimming, or running, keep in mind that warm weather can be dangerous. It’s hard for pets to keep cool when the sun is beating down, and animals don’t sweat like people do. Dogs do sweat, but not very much, and it does little to cool them off. As you probably know, dogs more commonly cool themselves down through panting. When there is only hot air for a dog to breathe, it’s a lot harder for that dog to keep cool. Read on to learn some important summer safety tips for dogs.

1. Never, ever, EVER leave your dog in a hot car
Okay, you’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s so important that we still decided to list it first. It can take minutes – yes, MINUTES – for a pet to develop heat stroke and suffocate in a car. Most people don’t realize how hot it gets in parked cars. On a 78 degree day, for instance, temperatures in a car can reach 90 degrees in the shade and top 160 degrees if parked directly in the sun! Your best bet is to leave your dog home on warm days. If you’re driving around with your dog in the car, bring water and a water dish and take your dog with you when you leave the car.

2. Make sure your dog is protected from parasites like fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes
If not protected, your dog is at risk for heartworm, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a host of other nasty and dangerous conditions. And don’t forget, many of these diseases can be caught by people too!

3. Keep your dog’s paws cool
When the sun is cooking, surfaces like asphalt or metal can get really hot! Try to keep your pet off of hot asphalt; not only can it burn paws, but it can also increase body temperature and lead to overheating. It’s also not a good idea to drive around with your dog in the bed of a truck – the hot metal can burn paws quickly (and they can fall out to be injured or killed in an accident).

4. Your dog should always have access to fresh drinking water and shade
Our dogs get much thirstier than we do when they get hot, and other than panting and drinking, they really have no way to cool themselves down. Keep your pet in the shade as often as possible. While dogs and cats like to sunbathe, direct sunlight can overheat them (especially dogs) and cause heat stroke.

5. Give your dog his very own “kiddy pool”
Dogs who love the water, naturally love it even more during the hot months, and getting wet keeps them cool. Providing a small, kid-sized pool will go over big.

6. Don’t assume your dog can swim well
Just because dogs instinctively know how to swim, doesn’t mean they’re good swimmers. And if your dog jumps in your swimming pool, he might not be able to get out without help and could easily drown. Make sure your dog can’t get into your swimming pool without you around.

7. Dogs get sunburns too!
Believe it or not, dogs can sunburn, especially those with short or light-colored coats. And just like with people, sunburns can be painful for a dog and overexposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Talk to your veterinarian about sunscreens for your dog (don’t assume a sunscreen for people is appropriate for your dog).

8. If there’s no fence, keep your dog on a leash
Summertime means all sorts of exciting sights, scents, critters running around, and new and exciting places to explore. You never want to lose your dog because he became distracted in an unfamiliar environment. And remember, not every dog is meant to be off-leash; some dogs just can never be fully trusted to come when called. Make sure you understand your dog’s tendencies and err on the side of being overly-cautious.

9. Watch your dog’s weight
After a long winter, many dogs put on a few extra pounds. Summer is the perfect time to increase his level of exercise and get in tip-top shape. A pet that maintains a healthy weight throughout his lifetime will live, on average, 2-3 years longer than an overweight pet! Just make sure not to over-exert your dog. Talk to your veterinarian, give him adequate rest and if your dog is especially overweight, make sure you ease him into physical activity.

10. Keep your windows screened!
You may want your house to be ventilated, but you definitely do not want your dog jumping out!

Perhaps the most important tip is to pay attention to your dog – you’ll know when he seems uncomfortable. Summer can be a great time to spend with your dog, but it’s important to keep these tips in mind! Be sure to check out our tips for firework safety too.

And as always, make sure you talk with your veterinarian about any questions or concerns you have about your pets in warm summer weather.

Reviewed by:
Dr. Peter Kintzer, DVM, DACVIM

Why is My Dog a Picky Eater?

info@antares.systems (Jose Cabrero) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 23:07:32 GMT

Dog Diet & Nutrition

At first blush, you might expect that no dog would be a picky eater. Your stereotypical canine readily wolfs down food (even that phrase implies that canines have a ferocious appetite). Some dogs will go after anything even vaguely resembling food and, much to our frequent chagrin, plenty of things that do not– shoes, socks, branches and rocks. So seriously how picky could they be? Well you might be surprised to learn that not all dogs are so quick to eat whatever is put in front of them.

How have ancestral eating habits changed?
First, regarding the ‘wolfing down’ aspect of how some dogs approach eating, proposed by the Journal of Nutrition’s website , their preference, as a species, for larger, infrequent meals likely goes back to the competitive feeding behavior of early of wolves that were their ancestors. It certainly doesn’t take a PhD in animal behavior to appreciate how eating as much as you could get, as quickly as possible, would be essential in that situation. You only have to have had a few brothers and sisters at your own dinner table to understand.

In spite of that, however, modern dogs apparently do have some innate taste preferences. As far back as the 1981, research indicated that dogs showed a strong taste preference for meats and sugar1. They preferred a diet containing sugar to one that does not, and they actually preferred water with sugar added to water without1. The same research, authored by Katherine Houpt and Sharon Smith, also showed that dogs preferred canned meat to fresh meat, cooked meet to raw meat and have a preference for canned or semi-moist diets over dry kibble. Furthermore, the sense of smell is very important to dogs in determining their food preferences – though apparently not so much when choosing between meat and non-meat options, but more so when discriminating between different meat choices.

Does your dog only want people food?
Knowing that dogs do have specific taste preferences, it probably comes as little surprise that your dog often begs for people food. How can you curb this behavior? Well, some of that is training. If you’ve shared with him in the past, then he knows human food is an option. But there could be even more to it, too. More recent research (2006) has determined that “dogs acquire food preferences from interacting with recently fed conspecifics2.” What does this mean? Basically dogs prefer food they have smelled on other dog’s breath prior to being fed themselves. Knowing this, I think your dog may develop food preferences based on what you eat— making him even more inclined to want what you are eating.

So what do you do if your dog is a picky eater?
First and foremost, don’t feed your dog whatever he asks for, this will lead to obesity and any number of associated issues. When you get a puppy, raise him to eat his food, not yours, on his own schedule, not when you are eating, and certainly not off of your dinner table. Pick up his food in between feedings, even if he doesn’t finish it in a reasonable (say 15-20 minute) period of time. And be firm about the rules, provided that he appears happy, healthy and at a good weight. Remember that we should be feeding our dogs high quality, readily digestible diets that rarely require the volume intake that we might think they must need to be eating. Use your veterinarian, not a measuring cup as your guide to what is an appropriate amount.

When could picky eating be a medical problem?
If your dog has been eating well and then becomes picky, especially if he is losing weight or looking unkempt, do not brush it off. Visit your veterinarian immediately to look for a reason. Anything from a bad/spoiled bag of food, to dental disease, to neck pain to other serious medical problems could be the cause. Before you decide to stubbornly stand firm and wait for him to start eating right again, consult your veterinarian.

Post by:

Dr. Mike Paul, DVM

Five Dog Diseases Fish Oil Can Help Treat

info@antares.systems (Jose Cabrero) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 23:07:30 GMT

Dog Diet & Nutrition

Fish oil is certainly a popular supplement these days for health conscious people. There are many proven benefits, and we now know that many of these same benefits also apply to our canine companions.

What is fish oil?

As the name implies, fish oil is derived from marine animals and is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Animals cannot manufacture these fatty acids on their own — they must be consumed in the diet. For this reason they are often referred to as “essential fatty acids.”

Mackerel, tuna, salmon, sturgeon, mullet, bluefish, anchovies, sardines, herring, trout and menhaden are all loaded to the gills (pun intended) with omega-3, and are common sources of fish oil supplements. The fatty acids with the greatest health benefits are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Both are ingredients found on the labels of fish oil supplements.

Five known benefits of fish oil supplementation for dogs
Based on the documented benefits of fish oil, veterinarians, like me, recommend its use as a supplement that provides medicinal benefit (nutraceutical) for the following common canine maladies.

1. Treatment of arthritis

The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for their therapeutic benefit for dogs with arthritis. In a study of 127 dogs with arthritis, those fed a diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids showed significant improvement in their abilities to rise from a resting position, play and walk. Prescription diets made specifically for dogs with arthritis are heavily supplemented with fish oil.

2. Treatment of inflammatory skin disease.

Allergic skin disease and other inflammatory skin conditions have the potential to benefit from the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil. A study was performed on 16 dogs with itchy skin. Compared to the placebo group, those receiving fish oil demonstrated significant improvement (less itching, less self-trauma, and improved hair coat).

Another study performed on dogs with varying stages of skin allergies demonstrated that fish oil was more effective for dogs who were in the earliest stages of their skin problems compared to those with more advanced diseases.

3. Treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction.

Canine cognitive dysfunction is a well-recognized syndrome of older dogs that, in many ways, resembles human dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, has been shown to improve cognitive dysfunction in affected dogs. Interestingly, DHA appears to slow the progression of human dementia and Alzheimer’s disease too.

A study was performed on 142 older dogs with a variety of behavioral abnormalities (disorientation, disrupted sleep patterns, altered interactions with family members, altered activity levels and loss of house training). During the 60-day period, dogs fed a DHA-supplemented food showed significant improvement in every one of these behavior categories.

4. Treatment of heart diseases.

Weight loss is a common problem associated with chronic heart failure in dogs. Fish oil has been shown to reduce this profound weight loss. A study was performed on dogs with heart failure, some of who were fed fish oil. The dogs receiving the fish oil supplementation experienced longer survival times and less weight loss compared to those on a fish oil-free diet.

5. Treatment of kidney disease

The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for their therapeutic benefit for dogs with arthritis. In a study of 127 dogs with arthritis, those fed a diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids showed significant improvement in their abilities to rise from a resting position, play and walk1. Prescription diets made specifically for dogs with arthritis are heavily supplemented with fish oil.

In a study of canine kidney disease with secondary glomerular injury, dietary supplementation with fish oil was shown to significantly slow the progression of the kidney damage. Additionally, fish oil has been shown to have a protective effect against acute injury to the kidneys. For this reason, fish oil supplementation is reasonable to consider for any dog with compromised kidney function.

Fish Oil Precautions

Let the buyer beware. Not all over the counter fish oil supplements are created equal. In a study of 51 best-selling fish oil products in the United States, 21 of them varied in their DHA and EPA concentrations by more than 10 percent compared to their label claims.

Careful attention to the dose of fish oil for a dog is important. Too much fish oil can produce adverse side effects such as diarrhea, blood clotting abnormalities, delayed wound healing, vitamin E deficiency, weight gain and altered immune system function. Lastly, fish oil has the potential to produce problematic interactions with other medications, particularly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

kireys-sanantonio

10 Summer Safety Tips for Dogs

Post by:

Pet Health Network Contributors

Help your pooch make the most out of summer

Dog Checkups & Preventive Care

Why is My Dog a Picky Eater?

Dog Diet & Nutrition

Post by:

Dr. Mike Paul, DVM

Five Dog Diseases Fish Oil Can Help Treat

Dog Diet & Nutrition

Posts by:

Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM, DACVIM