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Our Heroes Corner

Love and ingenuity come together for this little

guy with big inspiration for the rest of us.

His name is Koko and when we find out the full

story, we’ll bring it to you for sure!

Those lazy, hazy, crazy, steamy, itchy, dry, wormy, flea-bitten days of summer! Sun, fun, friends, pool parties, barbecues, vacations, smiles all around and a big smile on your pet’s face. But perhaps your best friend isn’t smiling – perhaps it’s hurting just a little, though it loves being by your side. Here are a few hints on how to make summer fun for you AND your furry friend! SEVEN DEADLY THINGS! “Cool” Car Cooker Air conditioner’s up, car’s cool and comfortable and your pet’s loving the drive. So you park it a while to run a few errands. STOP! DON’T DO IT! That “cool” car could be up to 120 degrees in a matter of minutes. Yes! The sun can fix that even with the windows rolled down. Your pet’s “all dressed up with nowhere to go” and in danger. Just leave the furry one at home – it’s safer. Make it up with a cuddle when you get back! Heatstroke This is a real medical emergency - Here’s what to do: Get the animal into a cool place and out of the sun. Apply cool wet towels to lower the animal’s body temperature. Get the animal to a veterinarian quickly. Remember! Heatstroke can be fatal. Some pets will respond to cooling within a short time only to have their temperature soar again or fall to sub-normal levels. Once your pet is in the care of a veterinarian, treatment may include further cooling, IV fluid therapy to counter shock or medication to prevent or reverse brain damage. Please take heat seriously – keep your pet cool and have fun with the sun. Water Water Everywhere Make sure there’s a lot to drink. Keep that bowl fresh and clean and full to the brink! BYO H2O - You need water as much as your pet does so carry enough for both of you when you venture forth in the sunshine. Have a heart! Heartworm is the last thing you want in that ever-loving “ticker”. This is a real hot summer nasty that can kill. Heartworm is transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes and can infect dogs and cats (Yes! Cats too! And they often have more severe symptoms than dogs and a poorer prognosis) and it has nothing to do with their wandering habits because mosquitoes are everywhere! Prevention is easy and affordable, treatment is risky and expensive. Talk to your vet about a heartworm prevention plan.
Strings Attached Keep your pet leashed while you’re both out having fun. If your pet has the run of the neighbourhood it could get lost, nibble on some horrible things and get sick or get into a fight and get hurt. (And hey! Even cats can learn to walk on a leash if you train them.) Just a Tick! Don’t “just” dismiss these little hot weather horrors. Ticks can irritate like fleas, but worse yet, they can transmit several serious diseases such as Lyme’s disease, canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. Yes! They are as bad as they sound and that tick is as dangerous as it looks under a microscope. Talk to your vet about how to recognize ticks and the proper way to remove them from your pet. We can tell you which heartworm and flea preventatives are effective in their control. If your pet has an increased risk of tick exposure (eg. sporting dogs, pets that go camping and those that spend time in wooded areas) talk to us about vaccination against Lyme’s Disease.
No Fleas Please (Blood-Sucking Parasites!) True! They really are blood-sucking parasites and summer is their prime time. And boy! Do they reproduce! How does one egg per female per hour sound? A few fleas can become a full-blown infestation in only a few days. Dogs and cats are like fast food restaurants for hungry fleas. They hop on, fill up on the blood of your pet, then hop off and spend time on the floor, in your rug or carpet, nest in pet bedding or lounge in the grass in your yard. Worst of all, fleas can cause serious medical problems such as flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworms, secondary skin irritations or infections and even anaemia. There are now several highly effective products available to help you control these nasty little pests both on and around your pet. Talk to your veterinarian about a customized control program before they get to be a real nuisance. For a Super Summer for you and your best friend, keep it cool, keep an eye and keep in touch with your vet!
I wrote this for a friend Clint Chastain, a veterinarian in Dallas, Texas however, there is little difference in summer conditions for pets anywhere in the world so please take note - I have seen the results of just a few minutes of excessive heat on a pet and it is not nice.