PET HEALTH

TICKS

Ticks are common in Marin and are most prolific during the rainy season from November through May.  Recent studies have shown that only 1-2% of the western black-legged ticks in Marin County carry Lyme disease.  We strongly recommend that your dog be on a tick prevention program such as Frontline, or a Preventic collar from your vet. Always check your dog (and yourself) for ticks after a hike.  When a dog or cat walks through grasses or puts their head in a bush, the tick will grab onto the fur. Ticks like being warm and protected, so pay special attention to areas under your dog's legs, in and around the ears, and eyes.  For information on a non-toxic homeopathic flea/tick collar go to the PET PATROL store:

FOXTAILS

Foxtails are the barbed seeds from wild grasses.  When the grass dies, the seeds are everywhere.  Unlike burrs, which stop at the hair, foxtails can puncture skin in a matter of hours.  In some cases they travel all the way through a dog's body, tearing tissue as they go.  More commonly they stick between the toes or lodge in the ears or nose.  Check your dog thoroughly after a hike in foxtail season, and keep his coat short.  Carefully inspect between toes and around body openings.  If you find even the smallest sliver, be sure to get it out or it may migrate inward.  If your dog begins violent sneezing, pawing at eyes, or shaking or tilting his head, he could have a foxtail embedded in a dangerous place. Get him to a vet right away, this is a medical emergency, foxtails can cause serous problems when neglected.  Careful grooming and examination should be done daily until the rains end the foxtail season.

HOT WEATHER CAUTIONS

1.  Always carry a supply of cool fresh water for your dog.

2.  Avoid strenuous exercise for your dog on hot days. 

3.  Do NOT walk your dog on extremely hot days!

4. NEVER leave your dog in a vehicle on a hot day!  Even with windows open, the temperature in a parked vehicle can reach more than 100 deg.F in a matter of minutes.

5.  Walk your dog in grass or keep pavement walks BRIEF.  Sensitive paws can quickly burn on  hot asphalt!

6.  No doggy days at the beach!  During extremely hot temperatures, your dog would prefer shade to sunshine.

7.  Wait 30-60 minutes after meals before taking your dog for its run.

8.  Add a few ice cubes to a dish of water for a cool, refeshing treat.

9.  Excessive panting, raspy breath and discolored gums are signs of heatstroke.  To treat, get pet to a shady place, cool with wet towels and call a veterinarian.

Visit your veterinarian in the spring, before the onslaught of summer bugs.

An early heartworm detection test and preventative medication for your dog will help you avoid "heartache" down the road.

Coolant/antifreeze leaks are sweet tasting and attractive to pets.  But drinking coolant can be fatal.  Use animal-friendly propylene glycol coolant rather than ethylene glycol in your vehicles.  NEVER let your pet drink out of strange puddles!

KEEPING YOUR CAT INDOORS

1.  An indoor cat can never get hit by a car

2.  An indoor cat can never suffer bites (possible abscesses) from other cats fighting to establish territorial rights.

3.  An indoor cat is less likely to acquire diseases (FIV, Feline Leukaemia, etc.) passed from cat to cat.

4.  An indoor cat is less likely to be exposed to an array of invisible killers:  rabies, parasites, worms, and flea/tick infestation.

5.  An indoor cat can never add to the over-population problem (spaying and neutering is still important).

6.  An indoor cat will not kill our song birds.

7. An indoor cat will not be a nuisance in the neighborhood (tearing open trash bags, defacating in gardens and sandboxes etc.).

8.  An indoor cat will never cause her family hours of anguish when she does not come home.

Pet Patrol

We Care When You Can't Be There

KEEP DOGS FROM EATING SWEET MUSHROOMS

The death cap mushroom, Amanita Phalloides, comes out in full force once the winter rains start, and is deadly!  In winter 2009 PETS Emergency Clinic in Berkeley had 3 deaths in 6 days - all from the Oakland area. 

The mushrooms have a sweet odor (like honey) and are attractive to some dogs (whose owners report they actually seek them out to eat them).  They are really non-descript little white mushrooms.  So you know what to look for here is a link with some pictures:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides

The toxic effects appear about 6-36 hours after the mushrooms are eaten, and once signs are seen the toxicity is poorly responsive to treatment (a lot of things can be tried to support the animal, but if enough mushrooms were eaten it will be fatal despite the treatment). 

If someone suspects their dog may have eaten a mushroom, the best treatment is to take the dog immediately to a vet or emergency clinic and have them induce vomiting and give activated charcoal.  The mushroom toxin is absorbed fairly rapidly, but the damage to the liver can take hours before it is clinically apparent.  Don't waste time trying to figure out if the mushroom is toxic as speed in removing the mushroom from the digestive system is the most important thing.