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Informative Dog Tips for Dog Owners
I have a dog which I
dearly adore. Here are two sets of seven dog tips I
believe dog owners should know about.
In set one, learn information that can save
your dog or puppy.
Note: I am not a veterinarian, just a
regular dog owner.
Set One
of Dog Tips
1) Do not let puppies
or adult dogs chew on newspaper. The ink
could make them sick. Also, get rid of any
deadly mushrooms in your yard. And keep your
puppy away from deadly plants. Puppies like
to chew. This includes cords. Keep plugged
in electrical cords away from them.
2) Do not let your
puppy or dog chew on things that could
become sharp going down their throat
(splinters of wood or hard plastic). It
could cut into the lining of their throat or
stomach.
3) Do not feed your dog
chocolate, onions, or raisins. These foods
can be deadly to a dog (a Vet told me this).
During the holidays make sure these foods
are put up away from your dog.
4) Be
careful about letting your dog sniff
driveways or parking spots. Cars can leak
oils and fluids, and you do NOT want your
dog licking it. I have been told by a
veterinarian dogs like the taste of
transmission fluid which can be deadly to
them. Seek Vet help immediately if you think
your dog has licked up oil or transmission
fluid.
5) If you
live, or hike with your dog, where
rattlesnakes live I recommend you ask your
veterinarian about getting your dog a
rattlesnake shot. If your dog is sick or old
your Vet might not recommend it. My Vet told
me the best time to get this shot is in
early Spring, the beginning of rattlesnake
season. He said the first six months of the
vaccine is the most potent, but you should
confirm this with your own Vet. My own dog
has gotten the shot. The first time she got
it she had to have a series of two shots,
three weeks apart. After that it is an
annual shot. But my Vet told me the shot
ONLY buys time if a dog is bit. You must get
your dog to a veterinarian as soon as
possible for more medicine/additional
medical help. Do not be cheap and call
around for the lowest priced Vet after your
dog has been bit. One Vet told me about a
man who did this and his dog died because he
waited too long to get medical help. You can
also get a trainer to teach your dog to stay
away from rattlesnakes. This should be in
addition to the rattlesnake shot or if your
dog can not have it. I write this because I
knew a dog owner who had their dog
rattlesnake trained but it did not help. Unfortunately, their dog went to sniff the
bushes one day and a snake bit them on the
nose. The dog sadly died.
6) On hot days do NOT park your car and
leave your dog in it. Even for a short
period. Do NOT think, well, it's okay I have
cracked open the windows some. It gets hot
inside a car fast! Some cities give tickets
to people who leave dogs in cars. So before
leaving your dog in the car to quickly just
get milk, even in winter, check to make sure
what your city's laws are.
7) Do not take your dog on hikes on hot
summer days in the middle of the day,
especially old dogs and dogs with long
coats. I had a Veterinarian tell me that
every summer he sees dogs come in for heat
stroke. Their owners take their dogs up
hills, on trails with no shade, when it is
over ninety degrees out. This is usually mid
day when it is hottest out. Would you like
to walk in a fur coat in the blazing heat?
If you hike with your dog make sure you have
water for him. Look for a collapsible dog
bowl at your local pet store. Seriously
folks take this to heart. My little niece
told me her friend's parents took their two
dogs out for a hike in hot weather during
the day. Both got heat stroke. One died, the
other survived. Don't let this happen to
your dog!
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Set Two of Dog Tips
1) When it is hot out, put your hand on the
asphalt, pavement, or dirt to see if it's
hot to the touch (quickly brushing finger
tips on the ground is not good enough). If
the ground is very hot, then wait to take
your pet for a walk when it is cooler.
Walking on hot ground can burn the pads of
their paws. If you're already on a walk and
your dog is hopping from paw to paw, then
the ground could be getting too hot. Find
green grass for your dog to walk on and take
him out early from then on.
2) On a hot day if you leave your dog in a
tennis court with black asphalt the ground
can get extremely hot. Your dog could burn
the bottom of their paws walking on it. And
if they don't have adequate shade they could
get heat stroke.
3) If you travel in the car with your dog
make sure on hot days the metal from the
seat belt does NOT touch them. Hot metal
burns. When it is really hot out try to park
your car in the shade. And carry a thick
white towel (white reflects) in your car.
Place it over the metal part of the seat
belt so it will not get as hot.
4) Make sure your dog has plenty of clean
water. Give them new water everyday. Recheck
water bowl on hot days to make sure your dog
still has water. Do not leave water in a
metal bowl in the hot sun. The metal can get
really hot and it could burn them when they
go for a drink. Use a ceramic bowl. My
thoughts: If humans nowadays are not suppose
to drink water out of plastic bottles that
have been in the sun too long or in the hot
car, then a dog should not drink out of
plastic water containers which are placed in
the hot sun.
5) Some people with long haired dogs
routinely every summer get their dog's hair
cut at the groomers. The cut looks like a
crew cut. But be careful about doing this.
Your dog's skin which has not seen the sun
can get burned. So be careful about how long
they lie in the sun and when walking them.
And yes dogs with no fur can get sun burned.
A vet informed me of this.
6) Keep old
towels. Keep a couple in the trunk of your
car if you take your dog to the creek or
beach. Additionally, you can put them in the
backseat or on the floor for your pet to lie
on. This helps with sheddings and for sandy
and muddy dogs.
7) Have too many
towels, or getting new ones? Then ask your
local shelter if they need towels for their
dogs. Some shelters do not have enough money
in their budget for towels to be inside the
cold metal cages for dogs to lie on. I give
towels to a pet store who takes them to such
shelters.
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