Wednesday, May 24, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Spring-proof
your dog
Spring has sprung, and
summer is just around the
corner and with the change
of seasons comes outdoor
chores, spring cleaning
— and the arrival of pests.
Before you embark on your
seasonal chores, take inven-
tory of potential hazards for
your furry friend.
Dogs love spring because
they get to spend more time
outdoors. After being cooped
up during the long Sisters
winter, your pooch will be
eager to get outside and start
exploring! It’s therapeutic
for Rover to be able to take
advantage of the lengthen-
ing and warming days to
release all their pent-up win-
ter energy.
However, the warmer
days bring certain health
concerns, so take a moment
and make sure your pooch is
fully prepared for the pleasant
weather.
Spring is a good time to
check and make sure your
dog’s vaccinations are up-
to-date. Dog-to-dog contact
increases in the spring and
continues into the summer
months. Dogs are spending
more time in the park and
with each other and are likely
to come across some new
puppy, raccoon, or squirrel.
Keeping their rabies, parvo
and distemper up-to-date will
help protect your pooch from
potentially deadly diseases.
Many veterinary clinics start
to see increased incidence of
kennel cough in the spring.
If you’ve noticed that
Rover has been scratching
lately, fleas are the likely
culprit.
The outdoors is what
Central Oregon is known for
and many folks enjoy tak-
ing their furry companions
along. Hiking on trails usu-
ally means wooded areas
along with the possibility of
ticks. So, remember to use
flea and tick prevention this
spring before stepping on that
wooded path with Rover. If
you’re proactive with flea
and tick control, you won’t
have to worry as much about
these pests getting your furry
friend sick.
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Mia — pest-free for spring and ready to explore.
plants that are accessible to
your pets. Popular outdoor
plants that are poisonous to
pets include rhododendron,
sago palm, and azalea, to
name a few. For a complete
list of plants that are poison-
ous to your furry friends, go
to ASPCA.org.
Pet parents, take care —
fertilizers, insecticides and
herbicides keep your lawns
healthy and green, but their
ingredients may be danger-
ous if pets ingest them. Dogs
also absorb toxic chemicals
through the pads of their
paws, so use a nontoxic
fertilizer.
Keep your dog safe out-
doors by making sure your
fertilizer is pet-friendly. You
don’t have to neglect your
lawn to protect Rover, but
you do have to be selective
about the ingredients in your
fertilizer products.
Warmer weather means
more trips to the park, longer
walks and more chances for
your dog to run off after see-
ing a squirrel zoom by. Make
sure Rover has a microchip
for identification and wears
a tag imprinted with your
home address, cell phone and
any other important contact
information.
Spring really means fun
times for dogs and their peo-
ple, so pick up the leash and
go for a walk. You are bound
to notice a little spring in your
furry friend’s steps!
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Winterization
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miller
There’s a variety of prod-
ucts available to combat these
pests, so ask your veterinar-
ian which one is best for your
dog. Start early as preventing
ticks and fleas from becom-
ing a problem is far easier
than dealing with a major flea
infestation. Get into the habit
of regularly checking your
dog for ticks. Ticks are typi-
cally found around the head,
on the ears, neck, chest and
forelegs although they can be
found anywhere. Usually it is
easier to find them by feeling
for them instead of looking,
depending on how long your
dog’s coat is.
One way to check for fleas
is to look for black specks
on your furry friend or in
his bed. The specks are fecal
matter from adult fleas, and if
you add the specks to a wet
paper towel the particles will
turn red.
With spring generally
comes spring cleaning. When
using harsh cleaning chemi-
cals around your home, keep
your pets out of harm’s way.
Almost all cleaning products
contain chemicals that are
harmful to animals. So if it’s a
nice day, open windows while
cleaning to air out chemicals.
With gardening in full
swing during the spring, pay
special attention to poisonous
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