Click on the links below for more information:

Housetraining Your Puppy
Housetraining Your Adult Dog
Crate Training
Basic Training
Housetraining Your Kitten
Introducing Cats & Kittens
Declawing Information
Noisy Canines
Heat Stroke
Harmful Medicine

.

Housetraining Your Puppy

Based on the AAHA pamphlet "Taking the Hassle out of Housetraining your puppy" - available at the Humane Society

Puppies from the Shelter have never received housetraining tuition and will need to learn as soon as you take them home.

Firstly, you must be aware of the situations which will typically stimulate puppies to eliminate. These include feeding, drinking, playing and waking up. After any of these situations occur, pick up your puppy, say "Out" and take your puppy outside. Keep your pet outside until he has been to the toilet.

The next stage is to choose a place where you wish your pet to eliminate. Choose somewhere easy for your puppy and you to get to since you will have to accompany it every time it goes outside. Take your pup to this special place and mildly praise any sniffing. When your puppy eliminates in the special area, praise it heartily. You may choose to use a buzz word such as "hurry up" or "potty time" when you think your puppy is about to eliminate. Try to take your puppy outside every one or two hours. It will soon get the hang of things.

Dinnertime

Your pet will normally eliminate within an hour after feeding. Because of this, avoid feeding just before confinement. The last meal should be finished three to five hours before bedtime. 

Preventing mistakes

In order to prevent your pup eliminating indoors, it is essential that you supervise it at all times. You should not consider your puppy housetrained until it has gone for at least four to eight consecutive weeks without eliminating within the home. A leash is a handy tool to keep the puppy near you when you are preoccupied and it might wander away.

When you are busy, sleeping or away from the home, confine your puppy to a relatively small, safe area. Always take your pet outside to eliminate before confinement. A wire or plastic crate is ideal but does have some limitations. Do not use it for longer than your puppy can physically control elimination or for more than four hours a day. Most puppies will quickly adapt to the crate if you make training fun. Feeding in the crate, tossing toys inside, hiding treats should all encourage your puppy to look forward to being in the crate.

If your puppy is home alone for longer than four hours, confine it to a larger area such as a small room or exercise pen. The area should be large enough to provide space for elimination and for rest several feet away. For easier cleaning, place paper at the sites where it is likely to eliminate. Again, make this a fun place to be with toys, playtime and treats.

One way to dissuade your puppy from eliminating in an area he has previously made a mistake in is to leave his feed bowls over the area. You could also try neutralizing sprays or moving furniture over the area.

Keeping calm

Punishing a puppy because it isn't learning quick enough is the worst approach to housetraining. Correction should be via distraction. A quick stomp of the foot, loud clap, tug on the least or "No" sharply said. Immediately take your pup to the correct place and praise when it eliminates. DO NOT RUB ITS NOSE IN THE MESS. There is absolutely nothing it will learn from this except to be afraid of you.

Some pets will squat and urinate as they greet family members. Never scold them. This problem is due to subservience, excitement or nervousness. Try introducing your puppy outside.

With a little patience and a consistent approach, your puppy will be as housetrained as the rest of your family.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Housetraining Your Adult Dog

Based on the web site Dog Owners Guide

You can use a modified puppy schedule to train an unhousetrained dog or one that's having housetraining problems. Start from the beginning just like a puppy, use a crate and put them on a schedule. An older dog can be expected to control itself for longer periods provided you take it outside at critical times — first thing in the morning, after meals and last thing at night. Until they're reliable, get them outside every three-to-four hours in between those times.

Adopted older dogs that have always had freedom may be unwilling to have a bowel movement when on a leash. You can either walk them longer or keep them confined until they really gotta go. Just like a puppy, don't give them the run of the house and keep them in a crate or small area if you can't supervise them. You can give them more freedom as they become more reliable.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Crate Training - Creating a Canine Haven

Taken from the AAHA pamphlet "CRATE TRAINING - Creating a Canine Haven" - available at the Humane Society

We all need a special place to call our own - a sanctuary of sorts. Your pet is no different. Part of raising a healthy dog is providing it with its own sanctuary, and crates are a perfect solution. Both puppies and dogs can be easily trained to enjoy the retreat to their crate.

Crate training is neither cruel nor unfair, provided your puppy has sufficient exercise and an opportunity to eliminate before you place it in the crate. However, allowing your dog to wander through the house unsupervised to investigate, chew and eliminate is unwise and potentially dangerous.

You and Your Dog Will Love Crates

There are numerous benefits to crate training your dog:

• Security for your dog
• Safety for your dog
• Prevention of costly damage (due to chewing, investigation, elimination etc.)
• Help with training proper chewing and elimination
• Easy traveling (helps your dog become accustomed to caging for traveling and boarding)
• Improved dog/owner relationship (fewer problems mean less discipline for your puppy and less frustration for you)

A Tip or Two

The first step is purchasing a crate. The main thing to remember is to leave enough room for your dog to stand and turn around - even when it is full-grown. Two basic styles exist: the metal collapsible crates with tray floors and the plastic traveling crates. Some dogs adapt better to a small room, run or playpen.

Because dogs are social animals, the ideal location for the crate is in a room where your family spends a lot of time such as the kitchen, den or bedroom. Avoid keeping the crate in an isolated laundry or furnace room. For the crate to remain a positive, enjoyable retreat never use it for punishment. You can, however, use the crate to avoid potential problems (e.g. chewing, housesoiling). A radio or television can help calm your dog and mask environmental noises that sometimes trigger barking.

Training Puppies

Introduce your puppy to the crate as early in the day as possible. Place a few treats, toys or food in the crate to motivate your puppy to enter voluntarily.

The first confinement session should be after a period of play, exercise and elimination (when it is ready to take a nap). Place your puppy in its crate with a toy and a treat and close the door. Leave the room but remain close enough to hear your puppy. You can expect some degree of distress the first few times your puppy is separated from its family members. Never reward the pup by letting it out when it cries or whines. Ignore it until the crying stops and then release it.

If crying does not subside on its own, a light correction may be useful. Avoid any excessive correction - it can cause fear and anxiety, which could aggravate the whining or cause elimination. When correcting, try to avoid being seen by your puppy so that it does not learn to associate the punishment with your presence. A squirt from a water gun or a startling noise (try shaking an aluminum soda can containing a few coins) can be used to interrupt barking. Or try a remote control device that turns on a water pike or alarm strategically placed near the crate. There are commercial bark-activated devices that produce a distracting stray or alarm when your dog barks. owners can fit their puppies with the devices or place them near the crate. If these devices do not immediately curb the barking or seem to cause distress, do not continue using them.

Training Adult Dogs

Training an adult dog is similar to training a puppy, except for the initial introduction to the crate. Introduce your dog to the crate by setting it up in the feeding area with the door open for a few days. Place food, treats and toys in the crate so that your dog enters on its own. Once it is entering the crate freely, it is time to close the door. Some dogs may adapt more quickly to crate training by placing the crate (with bedding inside) in your dog's normal sleeping area, allowing your dog to sleep in the crate at night. When punishing, take the same advice given for puppy training. Again, never punish your dog by putting it in its crate. Gradually increase the amount of time your dog must remain quietly in the crate before you release it.

Traveling with Fido

Finally the crate is an ideal way to house your dog when travelling. Try short trips first and gradually increase the travel time. Let your dog accompany you to the store, the park or on trips around town - anywhere that will adjust it to the crate and elicit positive feelings.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Basic Training

Based on the AAHA pamphlet "Basic Training" - available at the Humane Society

Puppy training should start as soon as 8-12 weeks. Don't use forceful methods. Instead use positive motivation - food, favored toy, affection and play.

Generally, the healthiest choice for a reward is the puppy's own dry food, along with praise. Training prior to dinner time is a good choice since the puppy will be hungry.

As the puppy gets better at performing, only food reward for an exact response. Eventually, provide a food reward on an intermittent, random basis. This renders the longest retention of learning.

Remember to use hand signals in associate with word commands. There will come the time when you want your puppy to sit and stay when it may not be able to hear you.

Come

Hold a piece of dry food between your thumb and forefinger. Extend it towards the pup and call their name. At it approaches, wave your hand towards your chest and say "Come". This gives your pup a verbal and visible cues to respond to. As it comes to you, provide the treat and as it eats, step back and repeat.

Sit

Make sure the puppy is standing. Hold a piece of dry food between your thumb and forefinger and hold it directly in front of its nose. Slowly move the food over the pets head so that its nose points straight up. As the puppy's nose goes up, its rear end will be levered into the sitting position. Say "Sit" as it assumes the position and give the food reward. Don't hold the food reward too high or the puppy will jump for it.

Lie down

Make sure your pup is sitting on a slippery surface such as a tiled or wooden floor. Hold the piece of dry food directly in front of its nose. Say the puppy's name and with a swift movement, move the food down to the floor directly next to the puppy's paws. As the pet slides into the down position say "Down" and give the food treat.

Stay

This is the hardest but most important command. It will stop your puppy running off, keep in safe with traffic etc. and since your puppy wants to be with you, it won't enjoy sitting still and staying. Wait until the puppy is calm, maybe after a play session, until teaching this.

Make sure the puppy is sitting. Don't provide a food reward for this. Lean towards it, make eye contact, extend the palm of one hand towards the puppy and in a firm voice say "Stay". Wait only one second then return to your dog, calmly praise and give a food reward.

Additional tips

• Keep calm and patient.
• Puppies have "Bad Training" days! If your pup is fidgety or has a short attention span, keep the session short.
• Start training in a quiet area. When your pup has got the hang of it, move somewhere with more distractions and retrain.
• Come, Sit and Down require a happy tone of voice. Stay requires in a slow, deep-toned command.
• Don't repeat the command more than once or your puppy will learn that it isn't expected to obey the first time.
• Praise like "Good Dog" should accompany the food reward. This will reinforce desired behavior and help in training when the food reward is withdrawn.

Puppies from the Shelter have never received housetraining tuition and will need to learn as soon as you take them home.

Firstly, you must be aware of the situations which will typically stimulate puppies to eliminate. These include feeding, drinking, playing and waking up. After any of these situations occur, pick up your puppy, say "Out" and take your puppy outside. Keep your pet outside until he has been to the toilet.

The next stage is to choose a place where you wish your pet to eliminate. Choose somewhere easy for your puppy and you to get to since you will have to accompany it every time it goes outside. Take your pup to this special place and mildly praise any sniffing. When your puppy eliminates in the special area, praise it heartily. You may choose to use a buzz word such as "hurry up" or "potty time" when you think your puppy is about to eliminate. Try to take your puppy outside every one or two hours. It will soon get the hang of things.

Dinnertime

Your pet will normally eliminate within an hour after feeding. Because of this, avoid feeding just before confinement. The last meal should be finished three to five hours before bedtime. 

Preventing mistakes

In order to prevent your pup eliminating indoors, it is essential that you supervise it at all times. You should not consider your puppy housetrained until it has gone for at least four to eight consecutive weeks without eliminating within the home. A leash is a handy tool to keep the puppy near you when you are preoccupied and it might wander away.

When you are busy, sleeping or away from the home, confine your puppy to a relatively small, safe area. Always take your pet outside to eliminate before confinement. A wire or plastic crate is ideal but does have some limitations. Do not use it for longer than your puppy can physically control elimination or for more than four hours a day. Most puppies will quickly adapt to the crate if you make training fun. Feeding in the crate, tossing toys inside, hiding treats should all encourage your puppy to look forward to being in the crate.

If your puppy is home alone for longer than four hours, confine it to a larger area such as a small room or exercise pen. The area should be large enough to provide space for elimination and for rest several feet away. For easier cleaning, place paper at the sites where it is likely to eliminate. Again, make this a fun place to be with toys, playtime and treats.

One way to dissuade your puppy from eliminating in an area he has previously made a mistake in is to leave his feed bowls over the area. You could also try neutralising sprays or moving furniture over the area.

Keeping calm

Punishing a puppy because it isn't learning quick enough is the worst approach to housetraining. Correction should be via distraction. A quick stomp or the foot, loud clap, tug on the least or "No" sharply said. Immediately take your pup to the correct place and praise when it eliminates. DO NOT RUB ITS NOSE IN THE MESS. There is absolutely nothing it will learn from this except to be afraid of you.

Some pets will squat and urinate as they greet family members. Never scold them. This problem is due to subservience, excitement or nervousness. Try introducing your puppy outside.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Housetraining Your Kitten

Taken from the AAHA pamphlet "Taking the Hassle out of Housetraining your Kitten" - available at the Humane Society

The right equipment

The Society uses the cheapest clay litter it can find! All our cats and kittens are used to using this. As regards a container, often a plastic box, is the most practical and easy to clean. The sides should be low enough that your kitten can easily climb in and out. Place the box in a relatively quiet area of your home with minimal traffic, where the kitten can have some privacy. Make sure the box is easily accessible, perhaps near your kitten's sleeping area.  If you already have cats at home, provide an additional box for each new cat. If you have house plants, keep them out of the kittens way or cover the soil with gravel or decorative pine cones - the soil is very tempting for a young kitten!

For the first week, confine your kitten to its own room. This will be the area where it sleeps and where you feed it. Provide the kitten with a litter tray. Praise any sniffing or scratching and give it loads of praise or a small food treat for eliminating. You can then decide where the litter tray will be kept in your home. It is a good idea to place it somewhere within sight so you can monitor your kittens toilet training for the first few weeks.

Using a covered litter box can help control the odor in your home and can be helpful for kittens with poor aim. If your cat is reluctant to use a covered box, condition it to this setup by placing a large cardboard box over its litter box. Gradually reduce the size of the box until it approximates the commercial box. Then make the switch.

Its a dirty job but you've got to do it

Kittens and cats have a very keen sense of smell. If you don't keep their litter tray clean, they will stop using it. At first, scoop the box at least once a day. Empty and clean the tray once a week in warm soapy water. Avoid changing the type of litter you use. If you have to, mix the old and the new brand together for a few weeks. The kitten must learn to associate good things with its litter box. Don't scold or medicate a kitten near this area. Don't locate it near noisy electrical equipment such as dishwashers. Or house the tray in a separate room and consider using a Kitty Door to keep your kitten or cat away from children and dogs.

Getting it wrong

You have a kitten who will take time to learn! Here are some reasons why a kitten or cat stops using its litter tray:

• Brand of litter was changed.
• Litter has been scented with deodorant.
• Tray has not been cleaned properly.
• Tray has been moved to a noisy area.
• The animal was frightened the last time it used its tray.
• The animal has medical problems.

If the kitten has soiled the floor, make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and treated with a commercial odor neutralizer. Try covering the area with plastic sheeting, two-sided sticky tape, perfume or soap. Never punish your kitten for making a mess outside its litter tray. This normally makes things worse.

If the kitten continues to soil outside its litter tray, seek medical advice.

Spraying

As kittens begin to become young cats, they may begin to spray. This is a form of territorial marking. They are telling everyone that this is their home. Neutering stops this behavior in most cats. If spraying persists after neutering, seek medical advice.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Introducing Cats and Kittens

When introducing a new cat or kitten to your household, you must understand how strange and maybe frightening your home and family members may be to the new animal. This Info sheet provides hints and tips to make this settling in period easier for everyone.

Getting used to the new home

• When you get your new pet home, find somewhere quiet and private for your new pet to settle in for a few days. It is likely that the animal will be stressed and will welcome some peace and quiet. A spare bedroom is ideal. Don't allow small children to bother your pet in these first few days.
• Take your pet to the vets within the first five days to have him checked over. If there are any problems, you may return the animal to the shelter for a refund or another choice of animal.
• With an adult cat, do not expect him to lie on your lap purring from day one. It is quite likely that he may find a safe spot under the bed and not venture out into the rest of the house for many weeks. From personal experience, one of my cats spent five weeks hiding in the basement when first brought over from the UK. She now deigns to allow me to stroke her when she is feeling brave!
• Your pet may not eat or use its litter tray for a day or two. This is quite normal.
• Allow them time to acclimatize to their new life. Having spent time at the Shelter, they may need to relearn how to be a lap cat!
• Don't let your new pet outside for at least two weeks. This way, he will know where home is and is less likely to stray.
• Put a name and address tag on an elasticized safety collar as soon as you get your pet home. If he does manage to get outside and stray, you stand more chance of being reunited.

Children

Children, especially toddlers and babies, can be less than kind to small animals. Its not a malicious thing - its just that they haven't quite learnt all the rules! Before you introduce a kitten or cat to small children, take the time to explain to them exactly what the rules are. Animals are not toys to be played with and should be treated with a great deal of healthy respect. Bear in mind that small children may be better with an adult cat rather than a kitten. Kittens are very fragile and there have been terribly sad stories of kittens being killed at the hands of unsupervised children.

Introductions to existing cats

If you have adopted a cat or kitten and need to introduce it to an existing cat, there are some tips:

• When you bring your new pet home, keep it in a separate room for at least 7-10 days. This will give your new pet a chance to acclimatize to its new surroundings and your existing pet will be able to smell and hear him without seeing him.
• After this time period, place the new pet in a carrier and put the carrier in the middle of a room with you and your existing pet. Leave the new animal in the carrier for a couple of hours. Again, this allows them to meet without conflict.
• Eventually, the time will come to let them get acquainted. At this point, you are going to have to give animal nature and instinct a free rein. Your pets will have to establish a new "pecking" order and your new pet may not necessarily be bottom of the pile! They may hiss and spit at each other. As long as there is no danger of serious injury, let them get on with it. From personal experience, it took 3 weeks for my new pet to assimilate with my existing two cats. The worst of the battle was over when they began to ignore each other! Now, two months later, they all sleep curled up on the same bed! This is not something I would have expected bearing in mind the animosity in the first 3 weeks.

Introducing cats to dogs

Again, the same principle of separation applies. This is more important since in the case of Cat meets Dog, there is a possibility of injury if the dog takes a dislike to the new pet. Similarly, cats can be extremely impolite to dogs when the mood takes them. Brandy, my Retriever, bears the scars of a full frontal attack by my tomcat, Lardy! To this day, Brandy gives the cat an extremely wide berth.

• Introduce the cat to the dog using the pet carrier method previously outlined.
• Before letting them meet face to face, make sure the cat and the dog have an escape route. A gap behind the sofa, a kitchen worktop or maybe even your lap! Expect some fur to fly. Be a little more vigilant when introducing dogs and cats since more serious injury could occur. Again, the expected assimilation period could be as long as 6 weeks or as short as 2 hours!

Introducing kittens to dogs

The only difference when introducing kittens to dogs is that

• The kitten is much more fragile than a cat and rough play from the dog could cause serious injury
• The kitten is less wary of dogs since it may not have encountered them and will not know how to behave
• Kittens are naturally playful and the dog may not want to play!
• Keep your dog under strict control and keep the kitten under close supervision. Only when you are sure they get on allow them to play unsupervised.
  .
  .BACK TO THE TOP
  
  ..
  Declawing

A response to a letter from the Humane Society of The United States

Dear Dr. Sinclair:

We've heard that new advances in declawing, such as laser surgery and so-called "tenectomies," make the procedure more humane. Is this true?

Although the new techniques for declawing cats may lessen the pain that immediately follows declawing, the surgery is still considered an unnecessary procedure for the majority of cats.

During laser surgery, a small, intense beam of light is used to cut through tissue by heating and vaporizing it, meaning there's less bleeding, less pain, and a shorter recovery time. But the surgical technique itself is similar to the traditional method (or "onychectomy"), with the laser simply replacing a steel scalpel blade. So the use of a laser is no substitute for a well-trained veterinarian with plenty of surgical experience. Moreover, the price of laser machinery ranges from $25,000 to $30,000, a prohibitive cost for most veterinary hospitals.

The second technique, known as a "tenectomy," (or tendonectomy) is becoming increasingly common. Rather than amputate the cat's claw, the surgeon removes a piece of the tendon that controls the cat's ability to flex and extend his claws. After surgery, the cat's claws are intact, but remain permanently extended. More than half of the cats who undergo this procedure can still use their claws to some extent, but cannot scratch normally. Since the cat can't sharpen his claws, the claws quickly become rough, grow excessively, and must then be trimmed on a regular basis. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association ("Comparison of effects of elective tenectomy or onychectomy in cats," Vol. 213, No. 3, August 1, 1998) found that, 24 hours after the procedure, cats who had undergone a tenectomy felt significantly less pain than did those who underwent onychectomy. But no long-term study of the tenectomy procedure has yet been published, and many veterinarians are concerned that cats subject to the operation may be prone to scarring, gnarling, and atrophy of the toes.

So while there have been advances in the way that cats are declawed, it's still true that for the majority of cats, the pain and expense of this surgical procedure are unnecessary. Educated cat owners can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows cat and owner to happily coexist. Declawing and tenectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat cannot be properly trained, and, as a result, must be surgically altered or removed from the home. In these cases, a veterinarian should inform the cat's caretakers about complications associated with the surgical procedures (including the possibility of infection, pain, and lameness) so people have realistic expectations about the outcome.

Leslie Sinclair, D.V.M., is Director of Companion Animal Veterinary Issues for The HSUS and supervises programs related to the health and behavior of companion animals. She is a 1992 graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her background includes serving as chief veterinarian for the Houston SPCA and as a surgical veterinarian for the Fund for Animals' mobile Spay/Neuter Assistance Program in Houston, Texas, as well as experience in private veterinary practice. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior. Dr. Sinclair is a frequent contributor to Animal Sheltering Magazine and HSUS News.

The advice provided by Dr. Sinclair is for informational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of consultation with your own veterinarian. Your veterinarian is the best source of information and assistance when you have questions about your pet's health or behavior.

Copyright © 1999 The Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP

.
Noisy Dogs

Based on the AAHA pamphlet "Noisy Canines" - available at the Humane Society

Most dogs will get noisy when exposed to something new or unusual. This may take the form of barking, whining, growling or howling. They are communicating something to both you and the thing that is new or unusual.

Barking may be because of:

• Strangers or other animals entering the dogs "property".
• Prey, such as a squirrel running through the yard.
• Separation from their pack, mother or family members.
• New and unusual sounds such as thunder.
• Need for attention, food or affection.
• Anxiety or high states of arousal.

Growling is associated with fearful or assertive displays. Whenever growling or barking is successful at achieving the pet's goals, the dog feels rewarded. Subsequently, the growling is likely to become more frequent or intense.

Some barking and/or growling may be due to medical problems.

Start early

Introduce your puppy to as many new situations, sounds and experiences as possible. While young, the puppy should spent some time alone relaxing or playing so it doesn't get distressed when it must be left alone.

Giving in to the barking (feeding, letting out, praising) will encourage its barking. You will learn the difference between a "I need to go to the toilet" bark and the others!

Correcting bad habits

You need to recognize why the dog is barking. Until you establish leadership and control, training programs are unlikely to be of any use. Increased play and exercise, obedience training and head halter training may be necessary before bark control can begin.

Once you have control of the dog, you can begin training. Training the dog to stop barking on command can be accomplished with lure-reward techniques, disruption techniques or head halter and leash training.

Begin training with situations that are easy to control. For example, a family member knocking at the door. Training a dog to be quiet on command allows it to continue to bark at stimuli but to stop at your request. Rewards are then given for quiet behavior. At each subsequent session, the dog should remain quiet for a little longer before receiving a food reward.

Punishment is not normally a good idea. It can increase anxiety and further aggravate the problem.

Practical Products

• Owner activated devices: ultrasonic trainers, audible alarms, water sprayers and shake cans (soda cans with coins or pebbles sealed inside).
• Bark activated products: collar mounted citronella strays, off-leash bark activated water sprayers or alarms, bark-activated collars.
• Electric shock collars are a final option. Since they have potential for injury or abuse, discuss this option with your veterinarian.

As soon as barking stops, take the opportunity to direct the dog into appropriate behavior, such as play, so the problem diminishes over time.
.
.BACK TO THE TOP


Heat Stroke

Heat Stroke is something that all pet owners should be aware of as it can strike any animal quickly. Heat stroke occurs when an animal's body temperature exceeds 104 degrees. It can cause brain damage, harm vital organs and even be fatal.

How do you know if your dog is suffering from heat stroke? Look for exhaustion, heavy panting, and the inability to lift his head. Some dogs may even lie down for no reason in the middle of a walk - a lurching gait is also a common sign. If you suspect your dog is suffering from heat stroke, cool them off quickly. Rinse them off in a lukewarm bath. Be sure the water is NOT cold as it will shock their system. Offer them ice cubes to lick and encourage them to drink cool water. When suffering from heat stroke, an animal is not able to swallow well so do not force them to drink. This can cause them to choke. If the dog becomes unconscious, bathe their paw pads with rubbing alcohol. The evaporation of the alcohol helps the heat to dissipate faster. Wrap them in cool, damp blankets and get them to a vet immediately!!

Hints and Tips

• For the outdoor pet, be sure his living area is comfortable for him, no matter the temperature.
• Leave out two bowls of water in case your pet happens to knock one over.
• Leave their water bowl underneath a dripping faucet ensuring he has fresh water at all times.
• Make sure their living area is shaded with plenty of trees-check your pet's dog house or dwelling area at the hottest part of the day to be sure it is comfortable for him. A dog house in the summer time can turn into an oven rather than a retreat!
• If your dog is restrained outside, consider the fact that he could get tangled up and forced to lie in direct sunlight until you return. Give him plenty of room to move on his lead. A small wading pool can prove to be a great relief from the summer sun.
• In the car, leave the windows partially cracked so he gets air, or let him lie near an air conditioning vent. NEVER leave your animal in a parked car! If you have no other choice, leave all windows down enough for air to circulate (but not enough for the animal to escape) and park in a shaded area. Do not leave your animal for more than one or two minutes maximum. The temperature inside of a parked car can sky rocket to a deadly 130 degrees in a matter of minutes.
• Have walks and play time in the early morning or late evening when the temperature is cooler. Animals do not use as much energy in the summer time keeping warm so their appetites are not as great.
• Shaving your pet's hair is not a good idea.  A coat - whether long or short - acts as insulation. Keeping him warm in winter and cool in the summer.

.BACK TO THE TOP


Harmful Medicine

WHAT'S IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR PET, SAYS ASPCA/NAPCC That acetaminophen may help relieve your headache, but did you know that pain killers and other common medications can be deadly to your animal companions? The ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) urges all pet owners to keep prescription and over-the-counter drugs--such
as cold medicines, diet pills, antidepressants and vitamins--in closed cabinets out of their animal companions' reach.

This includes herbal supplements, too. The label may read "all natural," but that doesn't mean it can't harm your pet if accidentally ingested, cautions NAPCC's Dr. Jill A. Richardson in "Bad Medicine," a recent article found online at VetCentric.com.  A popular herb-based diet aid has in fact been the cause of numerous poisonings. "It contains ma huang, which is like herbal ephedrine, and guarana, which is like caffeine," Richardson explains in the article.

"We've had so many horrible cases of that," Richardson says, including a miniature pinscher who had ingested somewhere between 30 to 50 of the pills--about 7 times the smallest lethal dose. In this unfortunate instance, the animal died, but Richardson stresses that most pets have a good chance of recovery if the owner seeks help immediately. In addition to offering information online at http://www.napcc.aspca.org, the NAPCC also runs an emergency hotline--1-888-4-ANI-HELP which provides round-the-clock telephone assistance.

For the complete article by VetCentric staffer Erin Harty, in which Richardson and other animal health experts are cited, go to: VetCentric: Bad Medicine
.
.BACK TO THE TOP