Avoid these summer pet dangers

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Avoid these summer pet dangers

6 yrs ago

With temperatures across Australia set to soar, Dr Glen Richards from Channel 10’s hit show Shark Tank is reminding pet owners to be aware of common dangers that can prove fatal over the summer holidays.

Heat stress
"Exercising dogs in the middle of the day can be dangerous at this time of the year," Dr Richards explained.

Over summer, pets struggle to temperature regulate because they do this through evaporative cooling over their tongue, so they start panting and that helps them cool down, but if the humidity is high, that mechanism doesn’t work so well.

So over summer, be sensible, dogs can't handle the heat so well. So use cooling mats, ice treats, and even turn the air conditioning on.

Choose the right pet sitter for holidays
Ask pet sitters about their medical expertise, are they able to cope with a diabetic dog and have to give medication? Are they experienced as a pet owner themselves? Is the backyard big enough? Is the pet going to spend some time in the home? Is the sitter going to be home throughout the day or regularly every night?

If you have a list of questions around the key things that you need to know as a pet owner to place your beloved pet who is one of your family members, in someone else’s home, a tick list will help you go through your list of priorities.

Asking these questions will help you figure out if they’re going to meet your expectations.

Pancreatitis
"So often we'd see pet owners wanting to indulge their pets over Christmas, and the most common presentation was when pet owners would give leftovers to their pets and that fatty ham which can lead to pancreatitis," Dr Richards explained.

The pancreas is an organ in the body that helps digest food, but in actual fact if you give a dog a big feed of fatty foods, the pancreas in a way almost starts digesting itself and they force them into pancreatitis.

So perhaps just a tiny treat, but keep feeding them their regular food.

What tips do you have for looking after your pet over the warmer months?

6 comments

Please don't walk your dogs on the hot pavements. Bad, bad, bad. Use the grass verge or wait until it's much cooler in the evening.

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

keep pets inside in hot weather , make sure they have access to CLEAN drinking water, [i put ice cubes in mine, keeps it cool for longer] i also have a tub of cold water that the dog can get in and out as she wants, to keep cool, small meals, makes for better digestion, esp, in hot weather

jesus christ - do you send him to a spa every weekend too

Does he get a manicure, pedicure, facial and a fully body massage, Pucci perfume and handbag ?

Its a dog - just leave it be , it'll find shade if its hot

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

dont take the lords name in vain RALPH, LOL, as a matter of fact, she DOES get a manicure, AND a body massage, gets all powdered up when she gets her haircut, and for what they charge, she SHOULD smell bloody nice, how about if we left you out in the sun, > know what they say, [mad dogs and englishmen]? lol lol, have animals they need looking after, my daughter gets acupuncture for her dogs back,

Acupuncture for dogs ??? What next ?

as for you young lady , you should treat Mustuffa as well as you treat your mutt

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

RAPHAEL, i DO treat MUTAFFA well, i let him have the shower once a week, [whether he needs it or not] give him clean clothes every second day, feed him once a day, and he is VERY GRATEFUL, [by the way, thanks for the YOUNG lady, i like that, if only], lol,lol, the acupuncture is for JEFF [the dog] back, he has arthritis, has to have two lots of medication a day, it costs her $150 a week just for his treatment, so no overseas for her this year, thank heavens so far my little mutt has not needed any vet treatment,

inextratime

6 yrs ago

Raphael is an expert on everything so no surprise with those inane comments.

During the summer months especially, please ensure all cats are kept indoors. Do not let them out because they are killing the birds. They are a menace.

If you see any moggies around please call the local council and get them to remove the pests.

More than 1 million native Australian birds are killed across the country by cats every day, new research shows.

Banjo

6 yrs ago

Ray, yes, it is quite a problem and Banana Shire has taken some rather drastic steps I think:

"FERAL cats are now a hunted species after Banana Shire introduced a bounty on the pest.

The council will pay $10 for an adult cat's scalp and $5 for a kitten.

The bounty is designed to stop the growing population of feral cats in rural areas of the shire, where they are having a devastating effect on the native bird and mammal populations.

The council has allocated $25,000 in its Land Protection budget to cover the cost of the bounty and will continue the program until this funding is exhausted.

Environment and planning manager Chris Welch said a similar program recently introduced in the McKinlay Shire had a significant impact on the feral cat population.

"An increase in feral cat numbers has been observed, particularly though the rural areas of the shire, and council has received information from the Upper Dawson branch of the Queensland Wildlife Preservation Society raising the issue of impacts from feral and uncontrolled cats," he said.

Mr Welch said the bounty would be restricted to feral animals destroyed on rural properties.

He said a property owner didn't need to be the party destroying the animal and requesting payment, but must sign the payment request form giving a hunter permission to be on their property.

https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/10-a-cats-scalp-cq-council-offers-pest-bounty/3236366/

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

BETTER be careful then MR ZOOLOGIST, might just sneek into the zoo and ATTACK, we can go after large prey as well, we may be coming,

Banjo

6 yrs ago

Do you think your comment is funny catsahoy? What is the reason for it?

Do you not think cats attacking and decreasing our bird population is a serious problem?

I can assure you it is no laughing matter as this picture illustrates:

Image result for cat attacking a bird

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

BANJO, i was replying to REAGANS post, which i assumed was pointed at me, as it seems every second post is a degrortory post to me, i am well aware of the dangers of feral cats, my daughter, who has cats [two] has had an area build for her,s outside, where they can see whats going on, and room to play, but cannot get outside, I have no cats, so have none to keep inside, i assure we are a very aware family on the behavior of animals, and would do NOTHING to harm the wildlife,

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Avoid these summer pet dangers

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