Holiday Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”

We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holidays disasters will be prevented.  

Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips

‘Tis the season for friends, family and holiday feasts—but also for possible distress for our animal companions. Pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.

Check out the following tips from ASPCA experts for a fulfilling Thanksgiving that your pets can enjoy, too.

Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

No Bread Dough
Don't spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Don't Let Them Eat Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.

A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.

Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/thanksgiving-safety-tips

Hurricane Season Has Begun! Are You Ready?

In Case of a Hurricane: TAKE YOUR PETS WITH YOU! 

Hurricane season runs June 1- November 30. Be sure to include your pets in your disaster preparedness planning. If you’re riding out the storm in the home of a family member, friend or neighbor, take your pets with you.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 

ANIMAL SUPPLIES CHECKLIST: 

FOOD

• Two Week Supply
• Manual Can Opener

WATER

• Two Week Supply

BOWLS 

• For food and water that attach to cage

PORTABLE CARRIER/CRATE 

• Large enough for pet(s) to stand and turn around in. 
• Each pet in separate crate. 

IDENTIFICATION

• Collar, Tag, and Leash 
• Microchips (Registered with national database) 
• Current photo of every pet WITH OWNER 

PET FIRST AID KIT 

• First Aid Guide Book 
• Roller Bandages 
• Scissors 
• Gauze 
• Antibiotic Ointment
• Medications 
• Medical Records (stored in waterproof container or plastic zip bag) 

CAT LITTER AND LITTER BOX 

• Litter Scooper

CLEANING SUPPLIES 

• Paper Towels 
• Disinfectant 
• Plastic Trash Bags
• Hand Sanitizer 
• "Quick Bath" wipes 
• Plastic poop bags 

BEFORE A Hurricane Approaches: 

Disaster kits and emergency supplies should be ready prior to hurricane season. Once a hurricane warning is declared, preparations should focus on securing your home and property.

• Protect the areas where wind can enter. Secure windows and doors, preferably with permanent, County-approved storm shutters. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8" plywood. You’ll need to cut the boards to fit to have it ready for installation. Tape does NOT prevent windows from breaking.
• Bring in lawn furniture, garbage and recycling carts and other items that are not tied down and could become airborne.
• If you own a boat, use double lines at a marina or consider dry-dock storage.
• Protect your electronics with surge protectors and waterproof coverings.
• Fill prescriptions of emergency medications (consult pharmacist as needed).
• Monitor the storm’s progress.
• Visit www.miamidade.gov or call 3-1-1 for updates on County services. Depending on conditions, bus, rail, garbage collection and recycling service, as well as airport and seaport operations, could be affected.
• Preparedness is not expensive. Many disaster kit items such as flashlights & batteries, garbage bags, etc., may be found around your home.

During a Hurricane: 

If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should: 

• Monitor your radio or television for weather updates and instructions from public safety officials. 

• Stay indoors, preferably in a room with few or no windows. 

• Take your emergency kit and disaster supplies with you if you move from room to room. 

• If flooding threatens your home, turn off electricity at the main breaker. 

• Use flashlights, not candles or kerosene lamps, as your light source. 

• If you lose power, turn off all major appliances. 

• Avoid using the phone and do not take a bath or shower during the storm. 

• Fight the temptation to go outside during the “eye of the storm.” There’s only a brief period of calm before hurricane force winds return. 

• Keep children informed about what’s happening and watch for signs of stress. 

• Keep animals in their carriers.

Sources:
http://www.miamidade.gov/hurricane/library/hurricane-guide.pdf
www.miamidade.gov/fire/ consumer-survival-kit.asp
http://www.miamidade.gov/animals/library/disaster_tip_sheet_eng.pdf
http://www.miamidade.gov/animals/disaster-preparedness.asp

Safety tips for the Sunshine State!!!

Summer is almost over in the rest of the country but these tips can help our Floridian pets all year long!!

“In the summer, we see more skin and ear infections and an increase in injuries overall,” says Sandra Sawchuk, DVM, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Protect your pet in our warm South Florida climate:

Use Sunscreen

Shield delicate skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in dogs and second most common in cats. Even though fur provides some protection from the sun, you should apply a pet sunblock every 3 to 4 hours to the least hair-covered spots: bellies on dogs (especially ones who like to lie on their backs) and ears and around eyes on cats, which are also areas where malignant tumors are likely to show up. Ask your Veterinarian first for the product they trust.

Keep coats long. While it may seem logical to cut your pet’s coat short, resist the urge. “If hair—even long hair—is brushed and not matted, it provides better circulation and helps her regulate her body temperature,” says Rene Carlson, DVM, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 

Soothe burns safely. If your pet does get burned, a thin layer of pure aloe vera can soothe the irritated area. Check  with your Veterinarian first for the product they trust.

 
Play It Cool
 
Walk with caution. Don’t walk your dog during the day’s highest heat and humidity, which is usually between 1 and 4 PM. This is especially important for dogs with short snouts, such as bulldogs, who can’t pant as efficiently in humid weather due to their narrowed nostrils and windpipes.
Never leave her in the car. Even if windows are cracked, the interior temp can rise by 19°F in as little as 7 minutes. On a hot day, this can be deadly.

Look out for heat exhaustion. If your dog shows signs of heat stress—heavy panting, dry or bright red gums, thick drool, vomiting, diarrhea, or wobbly legs—don’t place her in ice cold water, which can put her into shock. Instead, move her to a cool place, drape a damp towel over her body, re-wetting the cloth frequently, and get her to the vet as soon as you possibly can. A dog’s normal temperature is between 100° and 103°F, so once she hits 104°F, she’s in dangerous territory (106°F or higher can be fatal).

Keep it cool indoors. Turn on the AC in your home, especially if you’ll be out of the house for several hours. If it’s too warm for you, it’s too warm for your pet.

Be Water-Wise
 
Use a life jacket. Have your dog wear a life vest in a bright color in any body of water to help her stay afloat and ensure that she can be seen by swimmers and boaters. Let her get used to wearing it in your yard first.

Be on the lookout in lakes. If your dog steps in a sinkhole, which may cause her to panic, you need to help her swim to where she can touch ground again. Avoid lakes and ponds with blue-green algae, signified by scummy water and a foul odor. Algae can produce a toxin that may cause severe sickness or seizures quickly if your pet ingests the water, by either drinking from the lake or licking tainted fur.

Take Pool Precautions 

Act life a lifeguard. Never leave your dog unsupervised near an uncovered pool.

Create an exit strategy. Teach her how to get out of the pool by using the stairs with her 5 to 10 times in a row. This will help her learn where the stairs are, whether she’s swimming or accidentally falls in and needs to climb out. In the deep end, consider putting in a pool ramp, such as the Gamma Skamper Ramp ($60 to $80; petco.com), to reduce any risk of drowning.

Avoid swimmer’s ear. Use drops of a canine ear-drying solution to fight potential swimmer’s ear.

Keep Pets Bug-Free

Send parasites packing. Hookworms and heartworms are more prevalent during the summer and can gain access to your pet through the pads of his feet. Ask your vet for a prescription for Heartgard Plus or Interceptor Flavor Tabs, which will help keep parasites at bay.

Opt for pet-friendly insect repellents.
Check with your veterinarian first to find safe repellents for your pet.

Avoid using charcoal briquettes. Dogs seem to love to lap up or steal from the grill, and charcoal briquettes can easily get stuck in the stomach, causing vomiting and requiring surgery.

Don’t share. Barbecue scraps and fatty leftovers can give your pup pancreatitis, causing severe abdominal pain or death. Corn on the cob and peach pits are also a huge no-no because they can lodge in a dog’s intestines.

Guard Your Garden 

Skip the azaleas. These common backyard shrubs can be toxic for dogs and cats if ingested, resulting in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, heart arrhythmias, or an abnormal heart rate.

Limit the lilies. A day lily or Asiatic, Easter, or Stargazer lily and their pollen can cause acute kidney failure in cats. Ingestion of as little as two to three leaves can be fatal, so remove these plants from your yard if you let your cat out.

Check Your Garage
 
Lock up plant food. Rose and garden plant food containing insecticides can contain potentially fatal compounds. If your dog tries to eat a bag of it (or soil that’s been treated with it), he could suffer diarrhea, profuse vomiting, shock, seizures, and even death.

Keep away the fireworks. A threat to curious dogs that might try to eat them, fireworks are made with chemicals like potassium nitrate, and parts (like a fuse) that could get stuck in the stomach, they can cause vomiting, bloody diarrhea, seizures, and shallow breathing. Keep yours out of reach, and clear your yard of debris after you set off your display.

 https://www.yahoo.com/health/21-ways-to-keep-your-pets-safe-all-summer-91152736212.html

By Justine Lee, DVM, and Izzi Bendall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Pet Safety Tips

Holly, Jolly and Oh-So-Safe! Of course you want to include your furry companions in the festivities, pet parents, but as you celebrate this holiday season, try to keep your pet's eating and exercise habits as close to their normal routine as possible. And be sure to steer them clear of the following unhealthy treats, toxic plants and dangerous decorations:

O Christmas Tree Securely anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn't tip and fall, causing possible injury to your pet. This will also prevent the tree water—which may contain fertilizers that can cause stomach upset—from spilling. Stagnant tree water is a breeding ground for bacteria and your pet could end up with nausea or diarrhea should he imbibe.

Tinsel-less Town 
Kitties love this sparkly, light-catching "toy" that's easy to bat around and carry in their mouths. But a nibble can lead to a swallow, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting, dehydration and possible surgery. It's best to brighten your boughs with something other than tinsel.

No Feasting for the Furries 
By now you know not to feed your pets chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, but do you know the lengths to which an enterprising fur kid will go to chomp on something yummy? Make sure to keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food, and be sure to secure the lids on garbage cans.

Toy Joy 
Looking to stuff your pet's stockings? Choose gifts that are safe. 

• Dogs have been known to tear their toys apart and swallowing the pieces, which can then become lodged in the esophagus, stomach or intestines. Stick with chew toys that are basically indestructible, Kongs that can be stuffed with healthy foods or chew treats that are designed to be safely digestible. 
• Long, stringy things are a feline's dream, but the most risky toys for cats involve ribbon, yarn and loose little parts that can get stuck in the intestines, often necessitating surgery. Surprise kitty with a new ball that's too big to swallow, a stuffed catnip toy or the interactive cat dancer—and tons of play sessions together.

Forget the Mistletoe & Holly 
Holly, when ingested, can cause pets to suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. And many varieties of lilies, can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested. Opt for just-as-jolly artificial plants made from silk or plastic, or choose a pet-safe bouquet.

Leave the Leftovers 
Fatty, spicy and no-no human foods, as well as bones, should not be fed to your furry friends. Pets can join the festivities in other fun ways that won't lead to costly medical bills.

That Holiday Glow 
Don't leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Be sure to use appropriate candle holders, placed on a stable surface. And if you leave the room, put the candle out!

Wired Up 
Keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws' reach. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus, while shards of breakable ornaments can damage your pet's mouth.

House Rules 
If your animal-loving guests would like to give your pets a little extra attention and exercise while you're busy tending to the party, ask them to feel free to start a nice play or petting session.

Put the Meds Away 
Make sure all of your medications are locked behind secure doors, and be sure to tell your guests to keep their meds zipped up and packed away, too.

Careful with Cocktails 
If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

A Room of Their Own 
Give your pet his own quiet space to retreat to—complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle. Shy pups and cats might want to hide out under a piece of furniture, in their carrying case or in a separate room away from the hubbub.

New Year's Noise 
As you count down to the new year, please keep in mind that strings of thrown confetti can get lodged in a cat's intestines, if ingested, perhaps necessitating surgery. Noisy poppers can terrify pets and cause possible damage to sensitive ears. 

Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/holiday-safety-tips

April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

First Aid Kit Checklist
What's in your Pet First Aid Kit? 

• Save your veterinarian’s phone number and emergency veterinary clinic’s phone number (if applicable) in your cell phone address book and keep a hard copy in the kit.
• Gauze to wrap wounds or muzzle animal.
• Adhesive tape for bandages.
• Nonstick bandages (i.e., Telfa pads) to protect wounds or control bleeding.
• Towels and cloth to clean wounds or to wrap up the pet.
• Milk of Magnesia or activated charcoal to absorb poison (be sure toget the advice of your veterinarian or local poison control center beforeinducing vomiting or treating an animal for poisoning).
• Large syringe without needle or eyedropper (to give oral treatments).
• Muzzle, a basket muzzle is the best option but a cloth muzzle will also work, (soft cloth, rope, necktie or nylon stocking) or use a towel to cover a small animal’s head. Do not use in case of vomiting.
• Stretcher (a door, board, blanket or floor mat).

View this video of Hollywood Animal Hospital's Dr. Patterson giving some great tips of what to pack in your  pet's emergency kit


                          http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?title=First_Aid_Kit_Checklist