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How to avoid heat stress or overheating your dogs

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heat

How to avoid heat stress or overheating your dogs

Dogs cool themselves in hot temperatures by panting and drinking cool water. A dog cannot sweat through their skin like humans do. Their sweat glands are located on the pads of their paws. So instead, they pant to circulate cool air through their bodies and cool their internal temperatures. Drinking cool, fresh water helps to do this – and if there’s no access to water, they can quickly overheat, resulting in permanent brain damage and even death.

Whilst all animals are at risk from heat stress, those with dark, heavy coats and dogs with short noses such as Pugs, Pekinese and Boxers are most susceptible to heat.

Here is what you can do to help your pets on hot summer days:

  1. Ensure your pet always has access to fresh, clean water. Refill their bowls regularly, especially after play sessions or walks.
  2. Hot temperatures can cause heat exhaustion or heatstroke in pets. Limit exercise on particularly hot days and opt for early morning or evening walks when it’s cooler. Hot pavement/asphalt can burn your pet’s paws. Follow the seven-second rule: “Hold the back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds and if it’s too hot for you, it’ll be too hot for your dog.” Provide Indoor Play: On extremely hot days, engage your pet in indoor activities like puzzle toys, hide-and-seek, or training exercises to keep them mentally stimulated without physical exertion.
  3. Ensure your pet has a shaded area to retreat to when outdoors. This could be under a tree, a canopy, or even a pet-friendly sunshade.
  4. Never Leave Pets in Cars: Even with the windows cracked, cars can quickly become ovens in the summer heat. A parked car, on a hot, summery day of 27 degrees Celsius, even with windows left slightly open “for air” can reach an internal temperature of almost 50 degrees Celsius – in just ten minutes! Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle.

heat

Symptoms of heat stress include:

  • Intense, rapid panting
  • Wide eyes
  • Salivating, staggering, weak and dark red gums and tongue
  • Respiratory distress or hyperventilation
  • Advanced heat stroke victims will collapse and become unconscious.
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting – sometimes with blood
  • Diarrhea
  • Shock
  • Coma

Should your pet show any signs of these symptoms, please immediately take him/her to the nearest veterinarian.

Source: Cape of Good Hope SPCA 

Healthy Mouth, Happy Pet: Preventing, Recognising and Treating Gingivitis

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Pet

Healthy Mouth, Happy Pet: Preventing, Recognising and Treating Gingivitis

Just like humans, pets are susceptible to dental issues, including the common problem of gingivitis. Unfortunately pet oral hygiene is easily overlooked to the detriment of a dog/cat’s overall health and wellbeing.

Pet

This recent visitor at our hospital presented with an advanced case of gingivitis that resulted in decay spreading to the jawbone.  Fortunately it was no match for the skills of our inhouse veterinarian and although several teeth had to be extracted, the patient is expected to make a full recovery. 

What is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is a common dental problem in both dogs and cats, characterised by inflammation of the gums. It occurs when plaque and tartar build up on the teeth, leading to the growth of bacteria. If left untreated, gingivitis causes pain, tooth loss, and other health complications.

Recognising the Signs of Gingivitis

Dogs and cats should not have disagreeable mouth odour. Bad breath indicates the presence of infection.

  1. The leading sign of Gingivitis is bad breath, coupled with your pet’s reluctance to you touching their mouth. 
  2. Discoloured teeth or visible tartar build up that starts at the gum line.
  3. Red or swollen gums.
  4. Reluctance to eat or chew on favourite toys.

Treating Gingivitus

A thorough cleaning performed by a veterinarian is necessary to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria from your pet’s teeth and gums. This procedure is done under anesthesia to ensure the comfort and safety of your pet.

If Gingivitis is advanced, many cats or dogs will develop painful lesions at the gum line that invade the teeth. They are properly referred to as tooth resorptions. Unfortunately the causes of tooth resorption are unknown, and the most effective treatment is extraction of the affected tooth. 

Preventing Gingivitis

The good news is that gingivitis is preventable with consistent oral hygiene practices. Here are some effective strategies to safeguard your pet’s oral health:

Regular Brushing: Use a toothbrush and toothpaste specially formulated for pets. Brush their teeth gently in a circular motion, focusing on the gum line. Aim for daily brushing, but at least once a week is recommended.

Dental Chews and Toys: Offer dental chews or toys designed to promote oral health. These products can help remove plaque and tartar, reducing the risk of gingivitis. Look for options approved by veterinary professionals.

Balanced Diet: Feed your pet a balanced diet that supports their dental health. Consult with your veterinarian to ensure their nutritional needs are being met. Some specialised pet foods are formulated to support oral hygiene.

Regular Veterinary Check-ups: Schedule routine dental check-ups with your veterinarian. They will examine your pet’s teeth and gums, perform professional cleanings if required, and offer guidance on home dental care.

Our Vets Recommend

Pet Dent Finger Toothbrushes and pastes for dogs and cats are available at our Vet Shops in Grassy Park and Plumstead.  Hills Dental Care Specialty Food can be used as an additive to an existing kibble to enhance your dog’s oral care.

Pet

Source: Cape of Good Hope SPCA

When Your Dog Has a Cold – What to Do

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When Your Dog Has a Cold – What to Do

Tips for dog owners: how to help your four-legged patient recover

Dogs can show cold and flu-like symptoms during cold and damp seasons. These include a runny nose, sneezing, eye discharge, coughing, fever, shallow, noisy and laboured breathing due to congestion as well as a lack of energy and appetite.1,2

Measures for recovery

As long as your four-legged friend only shows mild symptoms, but still has an appetite and is behaving normally, you can help them with simple measures to speed up their recovery. Dry air can irritate the airways, so set up a humidifier. The vapour can help to alleviate breathing difficulties. Clean the areas around the eyes and nose carefully with a lukewarm, damp cloth and allow your dog plenty of rest. Offer your four-legged friend plenty of fresh water and ensure they drink a lot. A balanced diet helps to strengthen the immune system (more details below). Keep your dog warm and away from other four-legged friends so that they don’t become infected.3,4,5 Definitely don’t smoke in the dog’s presence and avoid the use of things like room sprays. Your four-legged patient should feel better again in one to two weeks.

If the above-mentioned symptoms worsen and severe breathing problems, bloody sputum when coughing, nosebleeds, reluctance to eat or drink and lethargic behaviour occur, you must have your dog examined by a veterinarian.6,7 They can offer appropriate treatment options based on the results of the examination.

How to Prevent Your Dog From Catching a Cold

Preventive measures

  • Dogs are most likely to catch the disease from another sick dog. Make sure that your dog avoids places where coughing and sneezing four-legged friends are present and do not let them drink from shared bowls or use shared toys.
  • Strengthen the immune system with a balanced diet. Vitamins, fats, proteins and minerals are essential in a dog’s diet.5
  • If your dog spends most of its time outside, allow it to retreat to a dry, wind-protected, possibly heated dog kennel. Do you have a dog without enough undercoat? Then grant him a warm and suitable item of clothing.
  • Have your dog examined regularly at a veterinary practice. This will help to recognise potential health problems before they become serious illnesses.
  • Make sure that your four-legged friend’s vaccination status is always up to date. A stable immune system is better equipped to fight off future infections.1,8

Conclusion

Bear in mind that the season of runny noses, watery eyes and coughs may be approaching for your dog. Be sure to protect them as much as you can. If they do fall ill, you can take simple measures to help; ask experts (e.g. vets) for advice. Observe your patient closely and do not hesitate to take them to a veterinary practice if the symptoms persist or worsen.

Source: FOUR PAWS

Correctly remove ticks

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ticks

Correctly remove ticks

Due to the mild weather, ticks are now active almost all year round

The small arachnids love our dogs and cats as a source of food but they can transmit dangerous pathogens such as borreliosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and TBE. In order to protect our pets, the tick should be removed as soon as it is discovered as these diseases can have fatal consequences. Not only does time play an important role in removing ticks, but also the aids you use.

Necessary aids
Before the tick is removed, the following aids should be available:

  • Tip Tweezers
  • Disposable gloves
  • Disinfectants
  • Treats

Gloves as a protective measure
Disposable gloves provide good protection against pathogens carried by ticks, which can enter the human bloodstream through injured skin.

Soothe dog and cat
In order to remove the tick quickly, the infected animal must remain calm. This is easier said than done as it’s not always easy to keep dogs and cats still, especially when they are subjected to an unusual ‘intervention’. Ideally, a second person should be present to help keep the animal still and calm or distracted with a few treats.

Animals must never be forced to keep still as some may become frightened or react aggressively if they cannot get away. If the animal is not still, there is also the added danger of only removing part of the tick, leaving the remainder under the skin.

Applying tweezers correctly
Tweezers with fine tips are recommended when removing ticks. They should be applied as close as possible to the animal’s skin without crushing it. The closer the tip of the tweezer is to the skin, the greater the chance of being able to pull out the entire tick.

Remove tick
The parasite must be fixed with an even pressure but do not squeeze the tick as this may cause it to release its infectious saliva into the dog or cat. Jerking or pulling out the tick, or – as was common in the past – twisting the tick, can be counterproductive as it may leave the head or mouthpiece (the proboscis) in the animal’s skin. It is better to pull the tick straight and upwards with a slow, even movement. A look at the area will show whether it has been completely removed. If part of the tick is still visible in the animal’s skin, a veterinarian should be consulted to remove the rest immediately.

Disinfecting the bite site
The bite site should be treated with a disinfectant recommended by the veterinarian for such purposes. Keepers must keep an eye on the affected area and on their animal. If the skin remains reddened and inflammation develops at the site, the animal must be seen by a veterinarian, especially if the affected dog or cat shows symptoms such as fever, fatigue or swollen lymph nodes, etc. Please ensure you dispose of the tick correctly by putting it in a sealed container and placing it in a suitable bin.

Protecting your own animal      
Measures should be taken to protect dogs and cats from tick bites; a veterinarian will be able to discuss which protection is most suitable for the individual animal.

Source: FOUR PAWS

Extinguishing Heat Exhaustion in Cats

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Extinguishing Heat Exhaustion in Cats

Are you a pet parent living in an area with hot summers? If you don’t have air conditioning, you may be worried about your cat getting heat exhaustion. There may be a flurry of questions going through your mind: What will happen while you’re gone during the day? Will your kitty sweat — or suffer?

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep your home cool enough for your feline friend.

Hot Town, Summer for the Kitty

When temperatures start to rise, your cat might be more comfortable than you think: according to The Washington Post, her average body temperature stays around a toasty 38 degrees Celsius. Since her ancestors evolved in the desert, she can also get most of her moisture from food.

However, this doesn’t mean she’ll be safe and comfortable locked in a warm house. Cats can’t sweat as humans do. Instead, your feline friend needs to release heat continually by laying on cool surfaces, panting, and drinking cold water.

Make sure your kitty is comfortable by doing a few precautionary things around the house:

  • Water, water, everywhere: Since water will evaporate faster in the summer — and your cat might be disinclined to trek around the house — it’s a good idea to keep several bowls of cold water throughout your home. If you live in a multi-level house, keep a bowl on every floor. Putting them under a chair or away from sunlight and cat food might make them more appealing. You can even place some empty pet bowls in the freezer overnight and fill them in the morning to help the water stay colder longer.
  • Homemade ice pack: Leave a homemade ice pack where your cat likes to lounge. If your cat gets too warm, a frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel is a good daytime nap buddy. (Remember to put it back in the freezer when you return home.) Never leave your cat alone with a commercial ice pack, since the chemicals in it could be dangerous to her if it pops or leaks.
  • Close the curtains: By darkening a few rooms, you can limit the amount of sun and heat that enters your home during the day. Not only will your feline friend be thankful for the shade, but you also won’t be hit with heat the minute you walk in the door.
  • Keep a fan running: A small fan or two in the right spots can help circulate air and keep your cat cooler throughout the day. You can also consider using a timer for the fan if you don’t want it running all day.
  • Make her a cool cave: Cats love to cool down under furniture, so consider putting your bed on risers to give her lots of room to relax and sleep comfortably. Alternatively, putting a tablecloth on your kitchen table might give her a breezy hideaway on a cool tile or wood floor.

Safety Tips

Cats need water and fresh air to keep cool — but more isn’t always better. Make sure your cat doesn’t have access to large tubs of water or swimming pools. Never leave your tub full of water or large buckets of water out for your cat since this can create a drowning hazard. If you have a pool, make sure your cat can’t access it when you’re not at home.

You should also be careful not to leave windows wide open. Since cats can push out screens and escape — or a heavy window could close on them suddenly — you should not leave low-to-the-ground or heavy windows open while you’re not at home. Do leave at least one window that your pet can’t reach cracked for fresh air. Blocking a small open window with a fan can also help circulate air while keeping kitty from getting any ideas.

Heat Exhaustion in Cats: Warning Signs

Even when you do everything you possibly can to help keep your kitty cool, heat exhaustion in cats is still a possibility. Heat stroke in cats is actually more common in certain breeds than others. Since Persians and other flat-faced cats can’t pant as well as other breeds, they have a harder time naturally cooling down their bodies and are more susceptible to heat exhaustion, according to Preventive Vet.

If you notice excessive panting, a rapid heart rate, sunken eyes, or little to no urine in your cat’s litter box, she may be dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. Check her hydration levels by gently pinching the skin between her neck and shoulders: Does it stay “tented”? Is it slow to smooth down? If so, she is likely dehydrated, and it’s important to get her to the veterinarian right away. They may then need to administer intravenous fluids before the condition gets too severe.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommends that cats with very flat faces and those who are elderly, obese, or have lung or heart issues be watched closely for heat exhaustion. If your cat has one of these conditions — and you have tried ways to keep her cool without air conditioning — you may want to talk to your vet. The most important thing to remember is to be proactive and observant when the thermometer climbs so you can spot the signs of heat exhaustion quickly and resolve them.

Source: Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Burns and Dogs – (What to do – how to treat)

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Burns

Burns and Dogs – (What to do – how to treat)

How to Treat a Burned Dog
Dogs just love being underfoot while their owners are cooking. While this can be an admirable trait of man’s best friend, it can also be dangerous when boiling water or hot cooking oil is being used in the kitchen.

A dog may experience first-, second-, or third-degree burns that are caused by fire, heat, boiling liquids, chemicals, and electricity. All are painful and can cause damage, even death. Superficial burns, evidenced by pain and reddening of the skin, are usually not serious. However, first aid should be given as soon as possible to ease the pain.

The following tips will help you not only identify the type of burn you’re dealing with but will also give you suggestions on how to best treat the injury.

First – or Second-Degree Burns

The signs of a first-degree burn include fur intact or singed, painful lesions, or red skin with possible blisters. The signs of a second-degree burn are singed fur or painful lesions that turn tan in color with swelling and blisters. If you notice any of these warning signs, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Restrain the dog if necessary.

Step 2: Apply cold water or ice packs to the burned area and leave in contact with the skin for 15 minutes. DO NOT apply ointment or butter.

Step 3: If burns cover a large part of the dog’s body or are located where the dog can lick them, cover the area with a sterile dressing. DO NOT use cotton.

Step 4: Wrap torn rags or other soft material around the dressing and tie or tape it just tightly enough to keep it in place.

Step 5: Transport the dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Third-Degree Burns

The signs of a third-degree burn include destruction on entire skin area, black or pure white lesions, or fur that pulls out easily. Also watch for signs of shock, which include pale or white gums, a rapid heartbeat, or rapid breathing. If you notice these signs, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Restrain the dog if necessary.

Step 1a: Approach the dog slowly, speaking in a reassuring tone of voice.

Step 2: Examine the dog for shock. If he or she is not in shock, proceed to Step 3.

Step 2a: Examine the gums by gently lifting the upper lip so the gum is visible. Pale or white gums indicate the dog is almost certainly in shock. If the gums are pink, the dog is probably not in shock.

Step 2b: Determine the heartbeat. Place fingers firmly on the dog about 2 inches behind the dog’s elbow in the center of its chest. Count the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiply by 6. If the dog is in shock its heartbeat may be more than 150 beats per minute.

Step 2c: Place the dog on its side with its head extended. Gently pull out the dog’s tongue to keep the airway open.

Step 2d: Elevate the dog’s hindquarters slightly by placing them on a pillow or folded towels. To conserve body heat, wrap the dog in a blanket or jacket.

Step 3: DO NOT apply ointment or butter. Apply a dry, clean dressing over the burned area. DO NOT use cotton.

Step 4: Wrap torn rags or other soft material around the dressing and tie or tape it just tightly enough to keep it in place.

Step 5: Transport the dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Chemical Burns

The signs of a chemical burn include a chemical odor such as turpentine, gasoline, or insecticide; reddened skin; or pain. If you notice these signs, do the following:

Step 1: Restrain the dog if necessary.

Step 1a: Approach the dog slowly, speaking in a reassuring tone of voice.

Step 2: Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water; repeat as many times as necessary to remove the chemical. Use mild soap and lather well. DO NOT use solvents of any kind.

Step 3: Call the veterinarian for further instructions.
Does your dog get into anything and everything? Check the next section for first-aid tips on treating a choking dog, including how to clear the airway and administer CPR.

Source: Friends of the dog