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Spring Pet Care Tips
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Spay or Neuter your pet:
Unless you are a professional breeder, have your
pets spayed or neutered. These procedures will help your pets live longer,
healthier lives. They will also eliminate unwanted and unplanned litters of
kittens and puppies. Literally millions of unadopted puppies and kittens, cats
and dogs are euthanized by overburdened shelters every year.
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Vaccinate Your Pet!
Warmer weather brings out more house bound pets
and more wildlife that can carry rabies, distemper, and other contagious
diseases. Make sure your dogs and cats are protected. Visit your veterinarian
and get your pet vaccinated. Vaccines will help reduce the risk of distemper,
parvo, hepatitis, kennel cough, and rabies.
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Start Obedience training
Spring is a great time to start training your
puppy or young dog, or to brush up on training for your older dog. An unruly,
out of control dog is a danger to himself and others. Good citizenship requires
that people have their pets under control whenever they are among other pets and
people. An obedient dog is a happy, healthy dog.
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Screen your windows
It’s great to feel the fresh air and breezes that
enter your home through opened windows, but make sure your windows are screened.
Thousands of pets are killed or seriously injured each year in falls from open
windows in suburban homes and large, urban apartment homes.
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Leashes: Don’t go out without one
If you are going outdoors with your pet, be sure
s/he is on a leash. Your pet must be under control at all times when he is
outside among other people and pets. The firm grip you maintain on a leash is
the best safeguard you have to ensure your pet doesn’t spar with other animals
or gets loose and runs away. Your pet should also always wear a collar with an
ID tag, or better yet have your pet microchipped.
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Need a jogging partner?
Running with your dog can be great exercise for
you and your pet but be sure and keep your dog’s age and overall health in mind
when you choose the distance and the course. Be careful not to stress your pet
to the point of injury. Keep away from hot tar or paced surfaces that can cause
burns to your pets foot pads. Ask your veterinarian for advice if you are unsure
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A Bumpy ride
One of the most dangerous places for a pet to
travel is in the back of a pickup truck. Pets can be thrown from the back if the
driver has to make a sudden stop or turn, and they can be hit with shifting
cargo or flying debris. Dogs and other pets should ride in the cab in a pet
carrier or secured by a pet safety belt.
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Still waters aren’t safe
Children are not the only ones who can drown in a
backyard pool or pond when left unattended. Pets are also vulnerable. Never
leave your pet alone near a pool or pond.
Also be aware of parasites in these areas such as
giardia, ticks and mosquitoes.
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Fleas and Ticks
Normally only adult fleas live on dogs and cats,
and often they remain there for only long enough to feed. Eggs may be laid on
the pet, but usually fall off into the environment where conditions are right
for them to develop (through a multistage lifecycle) into adult fleas. As a
result, it is possible to have a substantial flea problem even though you have
only identified a few or even no fleas. Egg and larval stages can survive in
your home all year and in your yard from spring to late fall (and often beyond
in the Pacific Northwest). Biting and scratching the lower back, tail and
abdomen are the most common signs of flea infestation, and dermatitis will often
flare up in these areas. Flea control involves treatment of the pet as well as
the environment by means of shampoos, sprays, topical treatments, powders, oral
medications, etc. Your veterinarian can recommend the most appropriate flea
prevention/treatment program for your pet. Have your vet check your pet for
intestinal parasites as well.
Ticks are another parasite that is common during
warmer months. Ticks are not only an irritant and nuisance to your pet, but can
transmit several debilitating diseases such as Lyme disease, babesiosis, and
ehrlichiosis. Many flea prevention products will also help control ticks. Your
veterinarian can help you recognize ticks and show you the proper way to remove
them from your pet. If you simply try to remove the tick by pulling, you can
leave its head embedded in the pet’s skin. Owners whose dogs have substantial
exposure to ticks, such as sporting dogs, or dogs spend time in forested areas
or woods should also ask their veterinarians advice about the appropriateness of
a vaccine for Lyme disease.
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Pesticides and Lawn Care products
Many of these products are potentially toxic to
pets. Be sure to store these items where pets do not have access to them. After
treating lawns and outdoor areas, restrict pets from these areas until exposure
danger has passed. Read labels carefully.
Remember that many types of summer foliage such
as hydrangea, wisteria, delphinium, and foxglove, can be toxic to your pets as
well, so do your best to prevent your pets from chewing on these, or any, plants
this summer.
For a complete list of toxic and non-toxic
plants, please visit the ASPCA, Animal Poison Control Center website at
www.aspca.org and click on Animal Poison Control Center
Information provided by Bide-A-Wee.org, and
information regarding fleas and ticks and lawn pesticides provided by the AVMA.
 
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