Dr. Rick Campbell from the Willow Creek Pet Center does us all the great services through tips on how to keep your dog healthy this summer.
1) No Fleas in Utah - Too High in Altitude & Too Arid! Fleas like humidity & lower elevations.
· Not necessary to use any flea medications!
· Large Box Stores make you think you need Flea products but you don't
2) We do have Heartworm!
· Heartworm is carried by mosquitoes.
· Record breaking long winter we have experienced, our mosquito population will be out of control this summer. There is no dog-to-dog transmission.
· Just diagnosed a case of HWD at WCPC last week!(DH)
· Solution: Have your dog heartworm blood tested negative with your veterinarian and keep your dog on monthly heartworm preventative medication. This also prevents intestinal parasites which can occasionally be transmitted to people
3) Occasional Tick seen in Utah.
· Frontline Flea & Tick prescribed for the owner who hikes and camps with their dog a lot to prevent ticks
4) Lots Fox Tails - Dried Grass Awns or Seeds that penetrate interdigital spaces (between toes) causing abscesses. Or get up into the dog's nose. Or get into Ears or Eyes.
(a) Cause acute discomfort.
(b) Veterinarians must remove from nose, eye, and ears.
(c) But you can remove FT's from fur coat after hikes & exercise outdoors
Long before they cause problems
Solutions: After hikes or outdoor exercise, go over your dog looking for foxtails and or ticks.
5) Avoid Heat Stroke
· Exercise your dog either early in morning or late at night
· Avoid confinement in cars
· Provide plenty of fresh cool water
· Ice cubes in water
6) Avoid Burned Pads of Feet or Sun Burned Skin
· Exercise early in morning or late at night when asphalt & rocks are not hot!
· Apply Waterproof 100% Sun blocker on areas of non-pigmented skin-Prevent sunburn & skin cancer
· Groom your pet for Summer
Do Not Shave Coat Down to skin - Susceptible to Severe Sunburn & skin cancer
Leave ½ inch of coat
Clip hair between toes reduces Foxtail penetration between toes
Clip hair around ear canal opening
· Dogs cool themselves by "panting" and sweat glands between toes
7) Exercise & Overfeeding.
§ Fact: 1/3 of American Humans are considered Obese.
The number percentage obese American pets = 66%
§ American Pets are Obese because - Attributed to Overfeeding & Under Exercise
§ Solution = Feed your pet for his/her ideal weight & increase amount of daily exercise.
§ You know what they say "If your pet is overweight, YOU are not getting enough exercise!"
§ After 30 years as a Veterinarian - I have found what your DOG wants more than anything else is to BE WITH YOU OUTDOORS EXERCISING during cool hours of morning or evening
§ Think of your pet as an Exercise Machine with Hair!
8) Hit by Cars and Dog Fights occur in Summer
· Keep your dog under your control on a leash
· Socialize & train your dog to accept new situations
9) More Accidental Poisonings & Food Poisonings occur in Summer
· Feed a quality pet food only - Quality Pet Foods are 100% Nutritionally Balanced
· Can you imagine how healthy we would be if every bit we took was 100% nutritionally balanced?
· Feeding people food or table scraps only teaches the dogs incredible "shoulder top computer" the scent, so don't be mad when the dog spreads the garbage all over or steals people food off the table or kitchen counter
· Teaches dogs to "Eat Rotting" food stuffs. Therefore your dog will get food poisoning from eating rotting food.
· Summer toxins including snail bait, rat poison and even paintballs!
10) More Infectious Disease seen in the Summer
· Simply because there is more exposure, i.e. contact with other dogs at the dog parks, out & about.
Solution: Keep your pet's Vaccines Current!
Visit Dr. Rick at Willow Creek Pet Center.
