From
the Doctor's Desk
Straight Talk from Dr."S"
Ah, the long lazy days of summer – school is out, surfing is in and the fireworks have just sizzled away. It is a time of lemonade stands, tire swings, river tubing, barbecuing, picnics, potlucks and neighborhood cook outs. These next few months are some of the hottest of the year so don’t forget your sunscreen and most of all don’t forget your beloved pets – summertime can be hazard time if sensible precautions are ignored.
Restrict your pet’s activity around barbecue grills, especially portable hibachis that can get knocked over easily. This also applies to bonfires and tiki torches. If paws and noses can get fried, keep the pets inside!
Limit sun exposure – animals like people can get squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) and sunlight is a direct contributing factor. White coated pets are especially at risk and thin skinned hairless areas like ear tips or noses are most commonly affected.
Insect encounters, bee stings and snake bites are frequently reported in the summer months since pets and people like to spend more time outdoors. Lawn equipment accidents and hit-by-cars increase as well. Use common sense for care and prevention at all times.
One of the most important concepts that I want all readers to understand is never ever leave your dog or cat in a parked car. Many experts recommend to not leave pets or children in parked cars for even short periods if the outside temperature is in the 60’s or higher. On a 78 degree day the temperature inside a vehicle (even with the windows down) can top 110 degrees in minutes. Can you imagine a 90 degree day? Dogs can only sweat through the nose and paw pads and this proves to be a very inefficient method of cooling. Panting lowers body temperature normally in dogs but panting 110 degree air while wearing a fur coat is a fast track to disaster. This concept is basic common sense, plain and simple. I will never understand why anyone in their right mind would think leaving a pet in a parked car for any length of time in the spring or summer is acceptable behavior. As a veterinarian I speak from experience – I am the one who will desperately try to cool down the seizuring, unconscious dog, attempting to get his core temperature below 108 degrees while watching his blood values rocket off the charts and doing my best to keep brain swelling to a minimum all because someone thought it was OK to run to Publix for a few things and bring Fido along for the ride. I have done this too many times to count; I have even given sworn statements to police in criminal trials due to this and it breaks my heart every time. For the record most pets will not survive when their body temperature exceeds 106 degrees.
The take home message here is be smart, be safe this summer and stop potential problems before they occur. For a wealth of more information and just plain fun visit these interesting websites:
www.mydogiscool.com
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HotCars.php
Did You Know?
The Jacksonville Humane Society was established in 1885 as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In 1920 with the donation of 10 acres of land by the Society’s President, E. Fleming Bowden, it was reorganized as the Humane Society. In 1924 the Society’s first shelter opened as the Society’s Rest Farm. The Society was renamed The Jacksonville Humane Society, Inc. in 1958 and currently remains on the same 10 acres on Beach Boulevard.
Tragedy struck the Humane Society on April 7, 2007 when a fire destroyed much of the shelter and killed 86 animals but out of the heartache bloomed shining examples of valor, compassion and togetherness – from the courageous firemen who risked their lives to the generous outpouring of support from the community. Three million dollars in contributions and insurance have been raised so far in addition to a 3.5 million dollar gift from the Boyd family (which once owned the Jacksonville Tars baseball team), helping the Jacksonville Humane Society to lead the way to a “new era of outstanding leadership in the adoption of pets”. A 45,000 square foot Adoption and Multipurpose Building is planned and will include exciting features such as behavior support offices, bonding rooms, an educational center, pet friendly café and a pet boutique. They have also recently implemented a placement program called Meet your Match to help ensure a pet-person lifetime connection. We are truly fortunate to have such a wonderful organization in our city.
The Jacksonville Humane Society (725-8766) is open Monday-Saturday (closed Sundays). The website www.jaxhumane.org is very user friendly and informative; I encourage you to visit for educational tips and pet stories; check out the pet of the week or submit your pet’s photo for the 2009 Furry Faces Calendar Contest.
Local E-mail Forum:
John Q. from Harbour Village asks – I have two cats, Quantum and Squiggles. One of them goes crazy over catnip but the other acts like I’m giving her a traffic ticket. What gives?
Answer – Well John, I’m glad you included the ages of your cats in your original e-mail as that is they key to your question. Catnip is a member of the mint family that excites a portion of the brain responsible for sexual activity in cats. This is a mild response that has nothing to do with a cat being spayed or neutered. Cats under a year of age are not sexually mature and so do not react to catnip. It has nothing to do with “being intoxicated” or anything of that nature. Keep in mind the store bought dried catnip is usually very poor, stale quality. The good news - it is very easy to grow your own catnip from seed so you can have a plentiful source of fresh green cat fun all year round! Plant it like basil or oregano and harvest similarly.
To ask an e-question go to clinic@harbourplaceanimalhospital.com. If your question gets posted you can win a free dose of Advantage or Frontline! Good luck!
Recommended Books:
Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays by Peg Kehret
Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan
MUTTS Shelter Stories: Love Guaranteed by Patrick McDonnell
100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History’s Most Influential Felines by Sam Stall
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul: Stories Of Feline Affection, Mystery and Charm by Jack L. Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Carol Kline, Amy D. Shojai, Marty Becker
From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava by Jay Kopelman, Melinda Roth
Fun and Informative Links!
www.petpagememories.com - really neat pet scrap booking supplies
www.bcrescue.org/puppyregs.html - Florida Pet Lemon Law
www.hsus.org – Humane Society of the United States – good source of pet information, also recommend click on “Hot Car” video
www.missdaisysdelights.com – cool pet bakery in Jacksonville! Check it out – Matisse (Dr S’s dog) approved
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