Spike is boarding at Kristin’s house for a week. Isn’t he cute? He’s a Havanese, and is still a little shy around Roxi and Rory.
Kristin Moran, Co-owner
Fetch! Pet Care of Herndon

Sent via Kristin Moran’s BlackBerry by AT&T

Posted via email from FETCH! Pet Care of Herndon

However, as many dogs now live in our homes with us (and we enjoy keeping a relatively constant temperature), they don’t have the opportunity to gradually become accustomed to the seasonal weather changes, and so, particularly late spring and early summer, are susceptible to heatstroke, because they overexert themselves.

What is heat stroke?

At its simplest, heat stroke occurs when a dog’s internal temperature exceeds 106F (101-102 is normal) and it is no longer able to regulate its temperature. The rise in the dog’s temperature (heat gain) is greater than its ability to cool itself. While people often think of heat stroke in conjunction with dogs left in cars (which is a very real concern), heat stroke can happen anytime an animal (or person) is exposed to high temperatures, and especially when they become dehydrated.

When heat stroke occurs, the high temperatures cause chemical reactions in the dog’s body, breaking down cells, which leads to dehydration and blood thickening. This thicker blood creates stress on the heart as it pumps blood through the body, and as it continues, leads to blood clotting and tissue death. The first areas affected are the liver, brain, and intestines, and this can happen quite rapidly. Therefore, it is imperative to act quickly to cool your dog if you think it might be exhibiting any of the symptoms listed below.

Symptoms of heatstroke

Your dog may exhibit only a few of the following, so be alert when playing outside in hot weather.

• rapid panting
• hyperventilation (heavy breathing)
• wide eyes
• thick saliva
• dry gums
• weakness
• confusion
• vomiting
• staggering
• bright red tongue
• diarrhea
• bleeding
• pale gums
• coma

Treatment

If you think your dog might be exhibiting signs of heat stroke, cool the dog, then take him to the veterinarian immediately! This is a life-threatening condition, and your quick response is imperative.

Use whatever means are available to bring down your dog’s temperature: bathe him in cool (not ice cold) water, fan him, return him to an air conditioned building, or sponge the groin, underarms, and tummy areas with cool water. While you’re doing this, wet his tongue, but do not allow him to drink large quantities of water, because it may induce vomiting.

Once the dog’s temperature reaches 103-104F, stop the cooling efforts, as cooling too fast or too much can cause other problems. At this point, you should transport your dog to the vet.

Prevention

What can you do to prevent your dog from being affected by the heat:

• Never leave your dog unattended in a car. The windows act like a greenhouse, and temperatures can rise to as much as 40F higher than outside temperatures in just a few minutes. Cracking the windows only helps minimally – remember how hot your car is when you return from shopping, even if you leave the windows cracked.
• Always provide access to fresh, clean drinking water. Carry water with you on walks – there are great products available at your local pet store!
• On hot days, restrict activity to mornings and evenings, particularly active exertions such as playing fetch, jogging, and similar.
• Do not muzzle your dog. Muzzles impede dogs from panting, their natural cooling mechanism.
• Avoid areas such as the beach or large stretches of asphalt, which reflect the sun’s heat, and are lacking shaded areas for cooling off.
• Wetting your dog or allowing him to swim on hot days can help, though overexertion can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, even in the water, so be sure to have him take breaks.

References
http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/dogs_and_heat_stroke
http://www.vetinfo.com/dheatstroke.html
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10170

Neem Oil

Neem oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which grows in India, and is sometimes called “the village pharmacy,” due to its varied uses. Neem oil has been used as an insecticide and insect repellant, antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, to treat skin disorders and injuries, and as a moisturizer in soaps and shampoos. Extracts made from the bark are used in dental care. Some people ingest the leaves as well, to support the liver, assist the immune system, and cleanse the blood. Before taking neem internally, it is important to consult with a qualified herbalist.

As an insecticide, neem oil does not work directly, as one might use wasp spray or a similar product. Instead, it works by affecting the brains of sucking and chewing insects, because it is similar in composition to their own natural hormones. Once ingested, the neem blocks the real hormones, and the affected insects “forget” to eat, mate, and lay eggs. This interrupts the life cycle of the insects, and reduces the populations.

Neem is available in a prepared spray or shampoo form at many holistic pet supply stores, or the oil is available at some health food stores, to make your own topical products.

• http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-insecticide.html
• http://www.naturmix.net/neemtree.html
• Ark Naturals Neem Protect Spray
• Flying Bassett Organics No-Fleas Spray

Diatomaceous Earth

This white powder is the ground fossilized remains of diatoms, a form of hard-shelled algae containing silica. Deposits of these shells, known as diatomite, developed approximately 30 million years ago, and are mined and ground, similar to the process of making talcum powder. The powder is slightly abrasive, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its porous nature.

This porous nature is precisely what makes it useful as an insecticide – the powder absorbs lipids (fats) from the waxy layer of the arthropod’s exoskeleton, and as a result the insect expires from dehydration.

Diatomaceous earth can be used externally against fleas and ticks, worked into the pet’s fur or sprinkled on carpet, furniture, or outside in the yard. Diatomaceous earth can also be taken internally, and is effective as a de-wormer. In either case, you should be sure to use only food-grade or medical-grade, rather than the coarser formulas used for filtration in pools.

• http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/diatomite/250497.pdf
• http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html
• http://www.perma-guard.com/
• http://www.earthworkshealth.com/ (contains a fascinating video on its health benefits)
• The Wholistic Pet Wholistic Diatomaceous Earth
• Azmira Para*Clear Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Garlic and Brewer’s Yeast

These are often available together, in either a pill or powder form. They work by changing the flavor of your pet’s blood, so that it’s unpalatable to fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. However, raw garlic can be toxic, especially to cats, so it is important to use this as a supplementary method, and be careful to follow dosage guidelines. The active ingredient in brewer’s yeast is thiamine (vitamin B1).

• Earth Animal Internal Powder
• Flying Bassett Organics Parasite Relief

There are many more products out there, and it’s important to find which product(s) work best for you and your pet(s). It’s certainly a learning process, and we continue to do our own research. What are your favorite products?

General Resources:

• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7419.html
• http://www.alt4animals.com/flea.htm
• http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1985-05-01/Natural-Flea-Control.aspx
• http://www.care2.com/greenliving/all-around-non-toxic-flea-control.html#

This article first appeared in our newsletter, April 2010. Subscribe to our newsletter.

One of the big questions we ask ourselves in relation to our pets is what food should I feed? Here are some things to consider when choosing a diet for your companion.

In this article we are focusing on dog and cat nutrition, but future issues will discuss birds, small mammals, reptiles, and the like. We’d love your input on which topics are of interest to you!

1) Choose a super premium, organic or holistic pet food. The ingredients in these foods will be fit for human consumption – conventional pet foods are not.

2) Look at the ingredients panel. The primary ingredients should be a named meat (such as beef, or chicken meal). The term “meal” refers to meat that was dried prior to the kibble being formed. While it is considered a lower quality product than fresh meat, it retains several health benefits, and generally results in a more economically-priced product. However, avoid at all costs any food containing by-products. These are the non-meat portion of an animal, and provide little nutritional value to a food.

3) The secondary ingredients should be fruits and vegetables. Many animals can tolerate some whole grains, though corn and wheat should be avoided in any form.

4) Avoid artificial preservatives. Vitamins C and E are natural preservatives and healthier for your pet. These are sometimes called “tocopherols” – although it’s not an easy word to say, it’s a natural antioxidant.

5) Pets love raw food! A raw food diet is natural and healthy, as well as a tasty treat for your friend. Remember, wolves and cougars don’t cook their rabbits and other game before eating it. If you’re not comfortable handling raw meat, there are freeze-dried options that still contain the benefits of a non-cooked meal.

6) Variety is the spice of life!  Continuing to think in terms of their wild cousins, who may eat poultry one day and rodent or fish the next, we feel strongly that feeding your pet a varied diet provides a much more balanced nutritional base than a single diet form. Variety can be rotating chicken, beef, and lamb (or some of the more exotic meats like bison, venison & duck), or it can be switching between kibble, canned, and raw.

If you’re considering changing your pet’s diet, feel free to email us for suggestions – there are several independent pet stores in the area with very knowledgeable staff that we’d be happy to recommend.

Talk to you soon!

Jen Stein and Kristin Moran