JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
During the summer time there are a range of dangers to household pets from hot weather to insects and dangerous animals to even plant-life.
Dr. Donna DeBonis, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Veterinary Clinic veterinarian, provided tips and information to keep pets safe from a wide variety of dangers that occur during the summer season.
Pets that are new to the area need to acclimate to the warmer temperatures. In addition, they are not be familiar with local wildlife and do not know what is dangerous, according to DeBonis.
Heat
"I think one of the biggest problems we have is that people travel with their pets around town as they do errands and they forget that their car gets hot in just a few minutes," DeBonis said. "It is safer to leave their pets at home. If they are going to take their dogs out to somewhere like the dog park, then they should make it a round trip to the park and back home. Pets shouldn't be left in the car for any amount of time."
A study by San Francisco State University's department of geoscience, where the outside temperature ranges from 72 to 96 degrees, showed that the interior temperature of vehicles parked in outside temperatures rose steadily as time increased and cracking the windows had little effect. In 10 minutes, the temperature rose 19 degrees and within an hour it rose 45 to 50 degrees.
The summer sun warms up more than cars; asphalt and sand is also affected, which can burn animals' paws. Instead of taking dogs to run on pavement, take them somewhere grassy like a dog park.
Heated cars and cement aren't the only challenges pets face. They also need to stay properly hydrated.
"People get used to leaving out a certain amount of water for their pets and not realizing they are going to go through more water during the summer time," DeBonis said.
The veterinarian suggested that owners not only leave out more water, but also have multiple sources of water in case the pet knocks over or spills one.
In addition, sunburns, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can occur if pets are outside for long periods. without some type of shade to cool off under . For that same reason, DeBonis advises people who run with their dogs to do so in the early mornings before for it get hot. The heat doesn't dissipate immediately after the sun sets so the evenings could still be too warm.
Swimming
"People like to take their dogs swimming with them like to the lake," DeBonis said. "If they take them, they have to make sure to teach their pets how to swim."
Some dogs however, can be unsuited for swimming for a number of reasons.
High bone density can make it difficult for some animals, like bulldogs and boxers, to float. Also, ifthey are short-faced, or brachycephalic, they could have breathing difficulties, which would cause them to panic, become disoriented and drown, DeBonis elaborated.
Even if owners teach a dog how to swim, there are dangers they must be aware of.
"They might be good at swimming, but if they go underwater for a moment and are unable to breathe well they could panic, which will cause them to get disorientated," the veterinarian said. "If they get disoriented or panicky, then they will run out of energy quickly and drown."
For people with pools DeBonis provides the following tips:
· Don't allow a dog to have unsupervised access to a pool.
· Show them where the stairs are.
· Put something to identify where the steps are like a colorful towel, something the pet will notice when they are in panic.
Wild life
"Something people don't always realize is that insects are more prevalent in the summer time," DeBonis said. "Dogs might try to eat them or they might accidently lay down in a red ant pile.
"Puppies are very silly and will try to catch (bees)," she continued. "If they get it in their mouth, it can sting them and leave the stinger. Owners need to look into the mouth and try to remove the stinger, and then get them to the emergency room as quickly as possible if they are swelling up. Typically one side is going to be more swollen than the other."
Other dangers from insects can come from fleas and ticks, and mosquitos which can carry heartworm disease. Owners are advised to place pets on flea and tick preventative and heartworm preventative medicine.
In addition to insects, owners should watch for snakes, even if they live in city. Some common poisonous snakes in Texas include the copperhead, cottonmouth, various types of rattlesnake and harlequin coral snake.
South Texas Poison Center advises people and pets to stay out of tall grass and underbrush and to remain on hiking paths as much as possible. Also, avoid snakes that appear dead because they are able to strike up to one hour after death.
If bitten and unable to immediately seek medical attention, wash the bite with soap and water, immobilize the bitten area and keep the area lower than the heart. Do not apply oral suction to the bite, cut into or incise bite marks with a knife, apply either hot or cold packs, apply a tourniquet or try to kill, bag or bring in the snake in question, according to South Texas Poison Center.
To protect pets from snakes and insects, DeBonis recommends that owners thoroughly examine their backyards for any potentially harmful creatures, such as snakes, wasps, bees, scorpions and hornets, and fix holes in fencing that could make it easier for pets to get out or for unwanted animals to come in.
Plant life
Another danger to consider is plants, some of which could be harmful to pets if ingested. Some plants poisonous to pets include aloe vera, amaryllis, apples (leaves, stems and seeds), oleander, callas, lilies, daffodils, ivy, garlic, hydrangea and tomato leaves. A more complete list of poisonous plants can be found at http://www.aspca.org.
"Common signs of problems with plants are vomiting, diarrhea, shaking, shivering or outright seizures, where they fall to their side and begin waving their legs around uncontrollably," DeBonis explained. "If they are not showing any signs but you suspect they ate something they shouldn't, then call the poison control. You're going to want to describe what (they came in contact with) because the treatment could change depending on what it was."
She also advised that owners have the name, address and phone number of the closest emergency veterinary clinic available.
For more information about pet summer safety, contact the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Veterinary Treatment Facility at 808-6101 or 808-6104, the JBSA-Lackland Veterinarian Treatment Facility at 671-3631 or 671-2245 or the JBSA-Randolph Veterinary Clinic at 652-3190.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also known as ASPCA, animal poison control center can also be contacted at 888-426-4435.