Summer Fun - Summer Safety

Time to get out with the family (and likely a family pet or two) and enjoy recreational activities. The purpose of this article is to serve as a reminder of summer dangers for pets, so that all of the fun isn't spoiled by an unsuspected emergency or illness.

Heat Stroke
Most people are aware that leaving a pet in a locked car on a 100F degree day would be dangerous. However, it is the seemingly mild days of spring (and fall) that pose great danger, too. Driving around, parking, and leaving your pet in the car for "just a minute" can be deadly. Cars heat up fast -- even with the windows cracked. Check out these sources for additional temperature information:

• How hot do cars get?
• Heat exposure in an enclosed automobile
• Cars develop killer heat, even on cooler days

Jogging is also dangerous this time of year. So your dog jogs everyday with you and is in excellent shape - why alter the routine? As the weather warms, humans alter the type and amount of clothing worn, and we sweat more. Dogs are still jogging in their winter coat (or a slightly lighter version) and can only cool themselves by panting and a small amount of sweating through the foot pads. Not enough! Many dogs, especially the 'athletes' will keep running, no matter what, to stay up with their owner. Change the routine to early morning or late evening to prevent heat stroke.

Consider your pet's housing. If they are kept outdoors, do they have shade and fresh water access at all times? I have treated one case of heat stroke in a dog that did indeed have shade and water while tethered under a deck, but had gotten the chain stuck around a stake in the middle of the yard -- no water or shade for hours. If you live in a warm climate, it is a good idea to hose down the dog before work, at lunch or whenever you can to provide extra cooling (if you dog is not over heated in the first place).

Signs of heat stroke include (but are not limited to): body temperatures of 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, coma, death. Brachycephalic breeds (the short-nosed breeds, such as Bulldogs and Pugs), large heavy-coated breeds, and those dogs with heart or respiratory problems are more at risk for heat stroke.

If you suspect heat stroke in your pet, seek Veterinary attention immediately! Use cool water, not ice water, to cool your pet. (Very cold water will cause constriction of the blood vessels and impede cooling.) Do not aid cooling below 103 F degrees - some animals can actually get HYPOthermic, too cold. Offer ice cubes for the animal to lick on until you can reach your Veterinarian. Just because your animal is cooled and "appears" OK, do NOT assume everything is fine. Internal organs such as liver, kidneys, brain, etc., are definitely affected by the body temperature elevation, and blood tests and veterinary examination are needed to assess this. There is also a complex blood problem, called DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation) that can be a secondary complication to heat stroke that can be fatal.

Water Safety
Not all dogs are excellent swimmers by nature. Especially if Fido has underlying health problems, such as heart disease or obesity to contend with. Consider protecting your pet just as your human family -- with a life preserver. If your pet is knocked off of the boat (perhaps getting injured in the process), or is tired/cold from choppy water or sudden storm, a life jacket could be what saves your pet's life.

Antifreeze
is actually a year-round hazard. With the warmer temperatures of summer, cars over heat and may leak antifreeze. (This is the bright green liquid found oozing from that car with the engine fan on.) Also, people change their antifreeze and may spill or leave unused antifreeze out where pets can access it. Antifreeze tastes sweet and is inviting to pets (and children). It is also extremely toxic in very small amounts. Call your Veterinarian (or Physician) immediately if any ingestion is suspected. A safe alternative to Ethylene Glycol antifreeze is available, it is called propylene glycol, and while it does cost a small amount more than 'regular' antifreeze, it is worth the piece of mind.

Summer Travel
Finally, if you are traveling outside of your normal Veterinarian's locale, it is wise to check out the Veterinary clinics/hospitals in the area that you are visiting, before the need arises. It is better to be prepared for an emergency and not have one happen than to panic in an emergency situation, wasting valuable time.

This original article is posted at http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/summerinfo/a/summersafety.htm

WARNING FOR PET OWNERS

This message was sent to us from one of our clients:

Please read
This was just sent to me by my dogster group:

Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a
tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message
along to all of my dog/cat loving friends and family.

Please tell every pet owner you know.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab
mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in
their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was
advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their
dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough
to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few
times which was typical when she eats something new
but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day,
Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk.
Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died
instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the
label, upon further investigation on the company’s
website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they
claim that ‘It is true that studies have shown that
50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer
physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending
on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs
won’t eat it.’ True information about the mulch
can be found here -
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoa.htm

This site gives the following information: Cocoa
Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden
Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a
lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’ . It is lethal
to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it
really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and
die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.
Just a word of caution, check what you are using in
your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are
using in your gardens.

Theobromine is the ingredient that is used to make all
chocolate especially dark or baker’s chocolate which
is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially
toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine
compound similar in effects to caffeine and
theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity
of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells
developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later.
Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested
cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal
amounts of theobromine.

Please email the manufacturer at michellemessick@
hersheys. com and request that accurate information
about this product be posted on the packaging to avoid
further tragedy. PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST
DISTRIBUTION !!!

Grapes, Nuts and Other Foods Your Dog Should Avoid

"Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who
often got himself into sticky situations..."

So begins a story in the latest report from the ASPCA on
foods that may be toxic to dogs. It turns out that Magoo
got into the pantry and snagged himself about a pound
of raisins. He ate the whole thing, of course.

The ASPCA never mentions Magoo's fate. But they do
tell us that as little as a handful of raisins can impair a
dogs health and has been fatal for some. Ditto for the grape.

Who Knew?
Growing up, I regarded our family dogs as "the first cycle
of the dishwasher". They were good about waiting their
turn for whatever we left on our plates, and we weren't too
concerned about offering them "people food". It never
crossed our minds that our dogs health could be affected
by a few measly table scraps. What was safe for us, we
figured, was safe for our pets.

What's more, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to give one
or two to our German Shepherd "Tiffany". The grapes
always popped out of her mouth when she tried to bite
into them and Tiffany, ever the good sport, refused to
give up until she'd squashed each one into submission.
It guaranteed at least 60 seconds of harmless fun.

Tiffany was also fond of chewing gum (she chewed
it -- wrapper and all -- but didn't swallow it!) We had
the sugarless kind, which is often sweetened these
days with xylitol. Little did I know that I might have
been poisoning our family pet! (More on xylitol below).

Why are grapes harmful?

As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is sure why
they're harmful. It's been confirmed that even grapes
grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to
dogs. But not to every dog, and not every time. It's
also not known whether small amounts eaten over a
long time period could have a cumulative effect.

What we do know is that the end result in nearly all
reported cases of grape or raisin toxicity is acute
kidney failure. (The term "acute" means that the
condition is severe and comes on quickly.) The dog
ultimately can't produce urine, which means they
can't filter toxins out of their systems -- a process
essential to life.

During the twelve-month period in which the effects
of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison
Control Center handled 140 cases involving one or
more dogs. Over a third of the dogs developed
symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure,
and seven dogs died. The ASPCA based their study
on reported cases, so naturally there may be cases
where a dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating
grapes. But until they know all the facts, the Society
advises against feeding pets grapes or raisins
in any amount.

An ounce of prevention
So, your dog just scored himself a big box of raisins.
What's a pet owner to do?

The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins were
eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and administer
activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the GI tract).
Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in
trouble, so skip right to the activated charcoal if
vomiting has already occurred. (In a pinch you can
make your own activated charcoal by charring a
piece of toast until it's blackened and crumbles
easily.) Then call your vet right away.

Can't reach the vet? Call ASPCA
Poison Control: 888-426-4435

The vet will keep your dog on intravenous
fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood
chemistry daily. Normal blood work after 3 days
usually means your dog is in the clear.

Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, is the
best way to keep your pet out of trouble. Like
children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack for
getting into mischief when we're not looking.

It's Not Just the Grapes...
There are other foods your dog should be kept
away from, and some of them may surprise you.

Here are some other foods that can put a
dogs health in harms way:

Chocolate
Who can resist chocolate? Like it your not,
your dog. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans
and cocoa beans contain a chemical called
Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. So on
Valentine's Day, you're actually being kind to
your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates
yourself! Read my special report on chocolate
at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/chocolate to
learn more, and see how different types of chocolate
have varying effects on dogs health.

Cocoa Mulch
Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of chocolate
production (which is how mulch made it into the
"foods" category) and are popular as mulch for
landscaping. Homeowners like the attractive color
and scent, and the fact that the mulch breaks down
into an organic fertilizer. However, some dogs like
to eat it and it contains Theobromine.

Fatty foods
Fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and can
can overtax the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis.
This can threaten your dogs health and is potentially fatal.

Nuts
Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most
nuts are not good for a dogs health since their
high phosporus content is said to lead to bladder stones.

Mulch
Mulch isn't food, but there's one type tempting
enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are attracted
to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in varying quantities.
The coca bean shells can contain from 0.2% to
3% theobromine (the toxin ) as compaired to 1-4%
in unprocessed beans.

Onions
Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown
to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J
Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman, D.V.M. 's
book: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine
vol. 2 pg 1884.) Stay away from onion powder too.

Potatoes
Potato poisonings among people and dogs are rare
but have occurred. The toxin, solanine, is poorly
absorbed and is only found in green sprouts (these
occur in tubers exposed to sunlight) and green potato
skins. This explains why incidents seldom occur.
Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a
dogs health, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Artificial Sweeteners
Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products,
especially sugarless gum and candies. Ingesting
large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol
may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs,
resulting depression, loss of coordination, and
seizures. According to Dr. Eric K. Dunayer, a
consulting veterinarian in clinical toxicology for
the poison control center, "These signs can develop
quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after
ingestion of the product" states Dr. Dunayer,
"...therefore, it is important that pet owners seek
veterinary treatment immediately."

Turkey
Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute
pancreatis in dogs, partly due to it's high fat content.

Other foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful:

Alcoholic beverages
Avocado (the only "fatty" member of the vegetable family)
Coffee (all forms of coffee)
Moldy or spoiled foods
Salt
Yeast dough
Garlic

The Bottom Line
Thanks to a more educated public, fewer
fatalities from foods like chocolate are being
reported these days. But it's important to keep
up with what's currently known about foods
and their effects on dogs health. Grapes and
cocoa mulch, for example, were only discovered
very recently to have harmful effects. Check
frequently with sources like the ASPCA, or sign
up for the "Cold Noses News" and we'll keep
you informed. (You'll also get a bunch of cool
dog stuff along with your free registration).

Of course, being alert and getting your pet
to the vet promptly will help assure a happy
outcome if something unfortunate should
happen. Here's to your dogs health and good nutrition!

Story from Holistic Health News at
http://www.hhnews.com/pet_foodavoid.htm