Why Water isn't Enough
Contents:
Myth Busting Heat Stress in Pets
Feline Heartworms
Top 7 Things that Can Kill your Pet this Summer
Myth Busting Heat Stress in Pets
I had a call come into the office from a rightfully
concerned business owner, witnessing two
dogs closed up in a car. Most of the
people I meet understand that leaving a dog in a car AT ALL will be fatal. For those that don't, many people remove the dog or call the police who do have the authority to impound and
press charges. Having water in a car, or
yard is not good enough. Here are some
facts to bust the myths and misconceptions about heat stress in pets.
Myth - If they have plenty of fresh water in a big bowl,
that will keep them cool.
Reality
- drinking water replenishes thirst but does not cool them off. Dogs and cats cool off by laying on a cool
surface to conduct heat away from the body. So they need constant cool earth that is in constant shade not a dog house in the hot sun.
Myth - An outside dog is better off outside than to adjust
to the indoors.
Reality
- If the indoors is giving the dog or cat what they need - cooling - the
confinement will calm them not agitate them.
So basements, garages with a concrete floor will be less stressful than
the work they have to do to find cooling in hot weather
Myth - the little dogs and dogs with long hair have the
hardest time in the heat.
Reality
- the more dense the body - muscular large breed dogs such as boxers, bulldogs,
pit bulls, Labradors, etc have
the hardest time. Older dogs, especially
if they have collapsing trachea or heart problems also have a hard time and
need have limited time outside in the day.
Myth - Riding in the back of a pickup truck is fine when it
is hot - there is enough breeze to keep them cool.
Reality
- Air does not flow into the bed of the truck, and the amount of heat reflected
back up on the body can double the heat
load on a dog. Sadly, we had a fatality
that was due to riding in the back of a pickup. Sit in the back of a pickup on a hot day
with a coat on and see how warm it gets.
Myth - panting cools dogs down fine. As long as they can pant they should be fine.
Reality
- panting does cool a dog down to a point then it heats them up. It takes work to pant and that generates heat. It also dehydrates the dog. A dog cannot pant and drink enough to keep up
with the heat so soon they are panting
excessively and overheat.
Myth - shaving a long haired dog or cat will make them heat
up more.
Reality
- the long hair insulates against the heat only for a short while. Both dogs and cats need to get in contact with cool surfaces to cool
off. The long hair prevents the
conduction to the cool floor so get long haired pets a hair cut - most certainly
the underside and sides of the body. No
matter how silly they look, the hair will grow back by fall.
Myth - the shade of a building will be a good place to keep
an outside dog cool.
Reality
- the shadow of a building is cooler, but there is still the reflection of heat
off the building coming onto the dog that limits the cooling. I have had cases where a dog overheated in
the shade of a metal out building due to this heat reflection. Allowing this dog inside an insulated
building is far better than the struggle to find shade and cooling earth
outside.
These are some of the most common myths that my staff and I
have encountered over the years of hot summers. Share this with your friends and neighbors. There
are still too many pets hurting in the heat.
We still have a bit of summer to go.
Feline Heartworms
You have probably heard about dogs getting Heartworms, but did you know that cats can get Heartworms too? One of our feline patients just tested positive for Heartworm Disease.
Adult worms live in the heart, which is why we call them Heartworms. Heartworms, Dirofilaria immitus,
attach to the wall of the heart and the right pulmonary arteries, the
vessels leading from the heart to the lungs. They reproduce and
the babies, called microfilaria, are released into the blood. The
microfilaria travel around the body in the blood vessels.
Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes. A mosquito
bites the dog with Heartworms and sucks blood and microfilaria. The microfilaria grow
for 10 - 30 days in the mosquito and are now called larva. They travel
to the mouth of the mosquito. The mosquito bites another animal and
the larva enter that animal. The larva travel through the blood for 3 - 4
months and continue to grow.
We in the veterinary community are continuing to learn about cats and
Heartworms. We once thought that cats rarely had Heartworms and
treatment was almost impossible. Cats are infected more often than we thought, they
just have different symptoms than dogs. Cats have more trouble
breathing, as though they have asthma. They may also cough, lay around
more and have vomiting or diarrhea. The cat's lungs are irritated,
inflamed and damaged by the worms. This part of Heartworm Disease in
cats is called Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease.
We have two types of tests for Heartworm Disease that we use in our office. One is very similar to the one
used for dogs. We draw a small sample of blood. The test is run in our
clinic and is done in 10 minutes. This test also checks for Feline
Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. The second test is also a blood test. We draw your cat's blood and then send it to a lab. We receive the results in a few days.
Preventing Heartworm Disease and Heartworm Associated Respiratory
Disease is easy. Revolution will kill the Heartworm larva. Revolution
will also kill ear mites, fleas and ticks and prevent some intestinal
worms. Revolution is applied to your cat's back once a month. If you
come into our office and purchase 6 months of Revolution, you get 2
months FREE!
For more information about Feline Heartworms, visit the American Heartworm Society's website.
Top 7 Things that Can Kill your Pet this Summer
Heat - Take your pet for a walk in the morning and evenings. Avoid walking on asphalt or roads. Don't leave your pet outside for more than 10 minutes.
- Cars - Don't leave your pet in the car. The temperature inside your car, even with the windows cracked, can reach over 100° in just a few minutes.
- Mosquitoes - Mosquitoes can give your pet Heartworms.
- Mouse and Rat poison - Your dog or cat will get sick if your pet eats the poison or eats another animal that ate the poison. Keep it out of your pet's reach.
- Plants - Lilies, ivy, hydrangea, palms and many other plants are hazardous to your pet. Check out the ASPCA's website for a complete list of poisonous plants.
- Fireworks - Fireworks can scare pets. Fireworks can also make your pet very sick if he or she eats them.
- Sugar free candy, gum and food - These cause pets to become very sick when they eat the item.
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