With the onset of summer there is plenty of outside fun to be had, but for all carers of
companion animals, here is a quick reminder of some of the potential problems to be aware
of.
Overheating is a well recognised and well publicised risk for our dogs and they should
NEVER be left unattended in a car in the warmer months. Unfortunately, every year we
have to deal with dogs which have become overheated. The only way for a dog to lose heat
is to pant: If the ambient temperature of air is raised (as it easily becomes in a car in the
summer…. even on overcast days….) then the dog very quickly becomes unable to lose heat.
Coupled with the fact that inside a car, it can get up to 60 degrees in minutes, it’s all too
easy for a dog to become hyperthermic. This is where the animals own metabolism is
affected such that it is unable to cool itself down, as body temperature rises and rises. So
please, NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR UNATTENDED IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
We have had a recent run of naughty dogs eating things they really shouldn’t have. This has
ranged from stones off the beach, to common garden slug bait. Both of these can be life
threatening if different ways; in the first case, symptoms of vomiting and discomfort
indicated that the stone had caused an obstruction, which was followed by a potentially life
threatening condition called peritonitis (infection of the abdomen). In the second case, the
toxin affected the brain, causing a series of severe fits, and requiring intensive therapy over
many hours to treat. If you know your dog has a habit of eating the wrong thing, be extra
vigilant with household poisons such as slug pellets or rat bait, and discourage too much
interest in stones, or seaweed, or sand when at the beach.
Don’t forget of course our feline friends, who may well roam a bit further and be more
adventurous in the summer months. If your cat does not arrive home when expected, ring
round all of the local vets, as well as checking with neighbours, in case they are shut in a
shed or garage. Cats are more fastidious eaters, but there are still some toxins which will
affect them, such as lily pollen which can cause kidney failure; often cats may brush past a
lily and then ingest the pollen from their fur while grooming. It is the stamen of the lily that
holds the pollen, so watch out for this if there are lilies in your or neighbouring gardens.
And of course all pets can get stung by wasps and bees. This usually produces a swelling
local to the site of the sting, but if you have any doubt as to whether the swelling is caused
by a wasp or bee….. or an adder, then please take your pet to the vets asap.
We hope the sun will continue to shine and that all our readers are able to get out there and
enjoy a lovely summer!