Every year near the start of summer, we begin to hear news stories about young children dying in hot cars. What we hear about less often, because they are rarely reported, are the cases in which companion dogs die similar, terrible deaths. These animals' deaths are tragedies that occur with alarming frequency, yet are entirely preventable.
As the summer heats up, its important that people be made aware of the
dangers of leaving their companion animals inside hot cars. Every year,
dogs die after being locked inside cars while their guardians work,
visit, shop, or run errands.
Warm weather can literally be a killer for a dog left inside a car. When it's 85 degrees out, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows left slightly open, can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and reach 120 in just half an hour. On hotter days, the temperature will climb even higher.
If you come across a dog already in heat-related distress, call the local police department and/or animal control. The dog should be drenched in cool water immediately, and taken to a veterinarian for emergency treatment.
Signs of heat exhaustion include excessive panting, drooling, a bright red tongue, weakness, staggering, seizures, and eventual loss of consciousness. Emergency care is a must. Prevention is very simple--DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PET IN A CAR!
It is of utmost importance that you keep up with your pet's vaccinations. When you adopt a pet, carefully review its vaccination history. If very little information is available (especially for adult animals), the pet should be vaccinated just to cover all bases. Parvo, Distemper and Rabies are tragic and deadly diseases that can be completely avoided by vaccinating your pet. Remember that just one or two shots may not be effective; puppies need to be vaccinated several times before they reach 1 year of age and adults need to be vaccinated every 1-3 years, depending on where your pet lives. Talk with your veterinarian about the most effective vaccination schedule for your pet. Keeping your pet healthy is all up to you! Low-cost vaccinations are available at Austin's Wellness Clinic. Visit Animal Trustees Wellness Clinic for information on vaccination schedules and pricing, or call them at 512.450.0111.
As a new pet owner, make sure you do not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem. Many of the dogs and cats that come into rescue are there because of unwanted breeding. Spaying or neutering your pet ensures that you do not repeat other pet owners' mistakes. Spaying or neutering can also protect your pet from reproduction related diseases and reduce unwanted behaviors such as marking, roaming, and even some aggressive behaviors. The statistics on pet overpopulation are staggering. According to the Humane Society of the United States, 6-8 MILLION dogs and cats end up in animal shelters each year and 3-4 MILLION dogs and cats are euthanized each year. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats, and in six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. Please be responsible and spay or neuter your pet. In Austin, low-cost (and sometimes free) spay/neuters are available through Animal Trustees of Austin, 512.450.0111, and Emancipet, 512.587.7729.
Heartworm disease is a very dangerous, and sometimes fatal, illness transmitted by mosquitoes. A dog with heartworm disease can literally have hundreds of worms living in its heart which can slow or even block the flow of blood to the heart. Signs that your dog may have heartworms are coughing, decreased appetite, weight loss, listlessness and lack of endurance. Treatment for heartworms is usually expensive and requires that the dog be crated quietly at home for up to 6 weeks to prevent dead worms from blocking blood flow and causing an embolism. Prevention is simple, easy and effective. Puppies should be started on heartworm preventative as recommended by your veterinarian, usually around 2 or 3 months of age. Dogs over 6 months of age must first test negative for heartworms prior to beginning heartworm preventative. Heartworm preventative consists of either a chewable tablet given once monthly, or the new six-month heartworm injection. Feline heartworm pills are also now available. Please consult your veterinarian as to the best type of preventative for your particular pet. Low-cost heartworm tests and heartworm preventative are available in Austin at Animal Trustee's Wellness Clinic. Visit Animal Trustees Wellness Clinic for more information, or call them at 512.450.0111.
For information on arthritis, please visit the Pet Arthritis Resource Center which has over 100 articles on treating arthritis and hip dysplasia in pets.
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