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So I am still trying to figure out iMovie, but didn’t want to wait to post these on our site. (This means you have to listen to my voice in the background as opposed to music! It also means that no editing has taken place.)
Sadie shows us her pool skills!
Day Care continues its fun - swimming in the pool, racing around the yard, wrestling with each other (the dogs, not us!), digging holes, and all that good dog stuff.
Enjoy!
In June, I had a long conversation with a customer about the kennel and our surprising lack of fleas. She was trying to figure out where the fleas on her dog came from, and of course, the kennel is the most obvious choice. During our conversation, I could tell that she didn’t believe me. Who would? At the time, I really was telling her the truth.
However, it’s now August and our some of our four-legged customers are infested! The fleas are back on Cape with a vengeance. Before you go running the other way screaming, “I’m never going back there!” sit tight for a moment and keep reading.
For quite a long time, we were all given a reprieve from the fleas. In fact, we even stopped carrying flea products (no one was buying them) and the numbers of flea baths dropped significantly. Bedbugs are back, so why not fleas? And have you ever seen so many flies? Not being a scientist, I can’t tell you why they have all reappeared in such numbers. Common sense and knowledge of fleas suggests that the humidity (remember how it rained all of June?) and the warm weather have worked together to produce the flea population we have now.
The reprieve is over and we need to start being vigilant again.
While the old method of flea-bombing and using lots of chemicals worked, they filled our houses, our bodies and our pets full of those same chemicals. Most basic flea collars can also be included in that old-fashioned category (Note: there are flea collars specifically prescribed by vets that are generally considered safe for pets and people). We even stopped chemical dips because we felt that the chemicals were just too scary for both the bather and the pet.
Remember that all outdoor places can harbor fleas, including the beach, the park, the dog park, your own yard. And yes, fleas can even be found at a kennel, day care facility, or vet office. Check your dog regularly for fleas or flea dirt, even if he is on flea preventative medication. If you bathe your dog at home, let the shampoo soak for five-ten minutes. Sometimes this will cause the fleas to come to the surface and you can see them at that point. Run a flea comb through his fur looking for flea dirt. Rinse the comb in a mixture of detergent and oil to kill the fleas. After a long soak, rinse the dog well, again checking the water for flea dirt, often a different consistency than regular dirt, almost tiny granules and will turn the water a rust color. Dry the dog using a white or light colored towel if you still aren’t sure about the flea dirt.
So what do you do if you find fleas or flea dirt? First of all, assume that all pets in your house have fleas. Fleas are superb are reproducing and at evading our attempts to kill them because of their life cycle. Even though you can’t find any live fleas at a certain time, this doesn’t mean that the eggs and the larvae aren’t waiting to hatch, anywhere from two weeks to a few months. If your dog is on a flea preventative, wait 24-48 hours after his bath and reapply the product. Investigate possible places of infestation and treat those areas. Wash dog bedding frequently in hot water. Vacuum regularly, making sure to throw away the vacuum bag in a sealed bag. It is best not to let the vacuum bag sit - the fleas will find their way back to a host for their blood meal. Continue to treat and prevent adult fleas from laying eggs. Remember to include any carpeted, cloth areas pets hang out, including your car and kids’ car seats.
The website, The Dollar Stretcher, provides some great tips for flea prevention that are chemical free and are more old-fashioned than the chemicals we used to use. Read about using borax and diatomaceous earth as a carpet powder and outdoor preventative at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010305a.cfm.
Another site, http://pet-diseases.suite101.com/article.cfm/flea_prevention_and_flea_control_for_pets, offers a veterinarian perspective. Also written by the same vet as the previous link, this article provides a concise, quick read on flea control mistakes that we all make: http://www.examiner.com/x-7468-Pet-Health-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Pet-health-101-Most-common-flea-control-mistakes. Finally, to present a balance of information, the University of Kentucky offers some tips that do involve pesticides: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef628.asp.
And if you really want to make it easy on yourself, call Pure Heat, a locally run pest control company that uses heat instead of chemicals: http://www.capebusiness.net/article/1559.141?PHPSESSID=2757028ed20f4275772273b4760ad8cb. Tell them we sent you - http://pureheat.com.
Don’t let the fleas get you down. Talk to your vet, your local kennel or day care, or your pet store and be ready to do battle. Your pets will appreciate your efforts.
It was brought to my attention that I did not mention heat in my blog about the beach. I was asked to put a small paragraph about heat. But heat has so many implications for dogs that I thought, “Heat needs its own entry!”
So let’s start with heat and the beach. A hot day at the beach feels great for you, but remember your dog is wearing a fur coat and doesn’t sweat. While a dog’s coat does help insulate them from warm and cold weather, 70 and 80 degree temperatures are more than most dogs can stand. Dogs cool themselves by panting, so if you notice your dog panting heavily at the beach chances are he’s too hot. This then relates back to the beach blog posted below - hot dogs are thirsty dogs and will drink salt water if it’s the only thing available. So keep lots of water on hand and keep a sharp eye out for signs that your dog has had enough heat for the day.
Remember too that the breed of a dog may greatly affect how they handle heat. I have a pug and he overheats quickly and freezes just as fast. Basically he’d be happy at a steady 65 degrees year round. (But then wouldn’t we all!)
The temperature isn’t the only heat threat at the beach. Don’t forget how hot the sand gets. Your dog doesn’t get to wear flip flops and his feet are just as prone to being burned walking through the hot sand as yours are. And his feet aren’t the only thing at risk of getting burnt. Pink-skinned dogs are at greater risk of sunburn. Use a children’s sunblock on sensitive areas such as ears, noses and bellies. Some companies even make sun block especially for dogs.
Ok, so moving on to the car. It cannot be said loud enough or clear enough that a dog does not belong left in a car in the summer no matter how short a period of time. I feel very strongly about this subject as someone I know lost a dog that I loved very much (even though he was not mine) to heat stroke from being left in a car. A car reaches temperatures well over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes. Having the windows cracked open for them is just not enough. Even with the windows all the way down the car still gets hot and dogs are subject to heat stroke. A death from heat stroke is a horrible and painful way to die. Save car rides for cool days.
With that said I have listed some warning signs of heat stroke below. If you suspect your dog has heat stroke seek immediate medical attention as your vet can help lower his temperature with fluids and compresses.
Signs of Heat Stroke:
Rapid panting
Bright red tongue
Red (bright) or pale gums
Thick, sticky saliva
Depression
Weakness
Dizziness
Vomiting - sometimes with blood
Diarrhea
Shock
Go to http://www.healthypets.com/heatstroke.html for more details about heat stroke in dogs.
Keep it cool!
Jo