Wednesday, May 27, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Jodi Schneider
Columnist
Springtime safety
tips for dogs
Spring is here. It9s heat-
ing up in Sisters, and sum-
mer is just around the cor-
ner. With the change of sea-
sons come outdoor chores,
spring cleaning and the
arrival of pests for your pets.
So, before you start on those
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 winter,
your pooch is eager to get
outside and start exploring!
It9s therapeutic for Rover to
be able to take advantage of
the lengthening and warm-
ing days to release all their
pent-up winter energy.
However, the warmer
days bring about 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
dog9s vaccinations are up-
to-date. Dog-to-dog contact
increases in the spring and
continues into the sum-
mer months. Dogs are now
spending more time hiking
with their pet parents and
are likely to come across
Spring!
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER
Mia loves to hike the trails with her pet parent...make sure your furry
rry
ry
friend is up to date with shots.
open windows while clean-
ing to air out chemicals.
With gardening in full
swing already, pay spe-
cial attention to poisonous
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 heed:
Fertilizers, insecticides and
herbicides keep your lawns
healthy and green, but their
ingredients may be dan-
gerous if pets ingest them.
Dogs also absorb toxic
chemicals through the pads
of their paws, so use a non-
toxic fertilizer.
Keep your dog safe out-
doors by making sure your
fertilizer is pet friendly. You
don9t have to neglect your
lawn to protect your pet, but
you do have to be selective
about the ingredients in your
fertilizer products.
Warmer weather means
longer walks and more
chances for your dog to
run off after seeing a squir-
rel zoom by. Make sure
Rover has a microchip for
rs
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
people, so pick up the leash
and go for a walk. You are
bound to notice a little
spring in your furry friend9s
steps!
PHOTO BY SUSAN WAYMIRE
A gorgeous swallowtail
butterfly graced a Sisters
backyard last week.
BY KATHY DEGGENDORFER
Paw
Prints
wild animals such as a rac-
coon or squirrel. Keeping
their rabies, parvo and dis-
temper up to date will help
protect your pooch from
potentially deadly diseases.
If you9ve noticed that
Rover has been scratch-
ing lately, fleas are a likely
culprit.
Hiking on trails usually
means wooded areas along
with loads of ticks. So,
remember to use flea and
tick prevention now before
stepping on that wooded
path with Rover. If you9re
proactive with flea and tick
control, you won9t have to
worry as much about these
pests getting your furry
friend sick.
There9s a variety of prod-
ucts available to combat
these pests, so ask your vet-
erinarian which one is best
for your dog. Start early as
preventing ticks and fleas
from becoming 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 typically found
around the head, on the ears,
neck, chest and forelegs
although they can be found
anywhere. Usually it is eas-
ier to find them by feeling
for them instead of looking
depending on how long your
dog9s 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 par-
ticles will turn red.
With spring comes spring
cleaning. Keep your pets out
of harm9s way when using
harsh cleaning chemicals
around your home. Almost
all cleaning products contain
chemicals that are harmful
to animals. If it9s a nice day,
Stitchin’ Post is OPEN
In Person & CURBSIDE SERVICE
NEW HOURS!
10:00am-5:00pm, Monday - Saturday
For curbside pickup: Call ahead and order/pay via phone, and we will
bring your order out to your car. OR email stitchin@stitchinpost.com with
your order and phone number, and we will call to get your credit card info.
Make us
your natural &
organic foods
destination!
Located in the Cascade Village
Shopping Center, Bend
Open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Isolated shopping hour: 6 to 7 a.m.
• Large organic
produce selection
• Huge organic &
natural selection
storewide
• Meat cut &
ground fresh
daily
• Huge bulk-foods
department
• All your favorite
local brands &
items
• Only 20 minutes
from Sisters
• Proud to be
100% locally
owned
- Excavation -
- Utilities -
- Site Prep -
- Septic Systems -
- Fire Support -
- Road Building -
- Land Clearing -
541-941-1604
Jeremy Roberson
— CCB#213401 —
Kismet
by Valori Wells
311 W. Cascade Ave.
Sisters, Oregon • (541) 549-6061
stitchinpost.com
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