Wednesday, July 8, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider
Columnist
Hidden dangers
of summertime
for your pet
You9ve got your dog
protected from fleas and
ticks for the summer so
now it9s time to take him
on a camping trip with your
family. However, there9s a
whole heap more in Central
Oregon that can harm Rover
besides fleas and ticks.
Your furry friend may
love to run through the creek
and lap up water, but there
is danger: the tiny intestinal
protozoa giardia is found in
nearly all streams, rivers,
ponds and lakes in Central
Oregon.
A dog can acquire giar-
dia by ingesting an infected
cyst in the water; the most
common route of transmis-
sion is through feces-con-
taminated water. Giardia
parasites prefer cool, moist
environments.
Yo u r d o g p ro b ab ly
enjoys running through the
tall grasses, which hap-
pens to include cheatgrass.
Cheatgrass is recognizable
by its drooping, wheat-like
seed heads, and it9s nothing
new to Central Oregonians.
Cheatgrass is sneaky and
enters body cavities (par-
ticularly ears, nose and even
under eyelids) and pen-
etrates skin between toes
and elsewhere on the body
causing irritation and infec-
tion. If Rover starts shaking
his head a lot after a hike, he
could have cheatgrass in his
ears. Have your veterinarian
check him over.
Common lawn and gar-
den mushrooms are poi-
sonous to dogs. They can
cause seizure-like behavior
in dogs that ingest them.
Mushrooms in yards should
be removed promptly before
your furry friend notices
them. If your dog becomes
ill, and you suspect mush-
room ingestion, call your
veterinarian immediately.
You9ve been playing ball
outdoors in the yard with
your dog for only 15 min-
utes on a very warm sunny
day; suddenly Rover begins
to pant heavily and starts to
vomit. You had forgotten
how hot it was outside since
you were wearing shorts
and sandals. Lucky for you
that Rover began to cool
down once you brought him
inside the house in the air-
conditioning and began to
get hydrated with a big bowl
of water.
Summer can be a danger-
ous time for your pets, and
the biggest danger to your
furry friend during the sum-
mer is something you can9t
see, smell or hear. Heat
stroke is a common occur-
rence in dogs. Most people
won9t recognize the early
warning signs that a dog is
suffering from heat exhaus-
tion, which left untreated,
leads to heat stroke and ulti-
mately death.
Dehydration can happen
as a result of overheating.
Be sure your dog has access
to plenty of water, whether
you are out playing with him
or he is left alone when you
are running errands, since
it9s too hot to take him in the
car with you.
Your dog needs to be
kept hydrated always.
Remember: if you9re hot,
your furry friend is even
hotter. Providing shade,
shelter and fresh water to
your dog when he is outside
is extremely important dur-
ing the summer.
Living in a forested area
can lead to encounters with
wildlife, even in your own
backyard. Coyotes and
mountain lions actively
seek dogs as prey in Central
Oregon, even in some resi-
dential areas. Small pets
are particularly vulnerable,
and some coyotes may be
bold enough to hunt dur-
ing the day. Deterring the
presence of coyotes by not
feeding deer or other wild-
life are effective preventive
strategies.
Mule deer are common
in Central Oregon, and you
will find them in your back-
yard, especially when you
have a delicious garden.
Both does and bucks will
aggressively attack dogs,
especially when fawns
are present in the summer
months. Attacks on dogs by
deer can result in fractures,
internal injuries, and death.
You and your furry friend
may want to cool down at
the beautiful Oregon Coast
to have fun in the sun and
water, but dehydration can
occur when your pooch
is right next to the water.
Remember that the ocean
water contains salt, and
salt water can be harmful
to animals. Ingesting the
salt increases dehydration,
11
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER
Summertime is fun — but you have to watch out for dangers from heat
to giardia in lakes and streams.
because it draws water into
the intestines. Salt water
can also cause vomiting and
diarrhea, and lead to big-
ger problems, if your dog
doesn9t get clean fresh water.
Dogs, just like humans, can
also get sunburn, which can
lead to skin cancer. If Rover
has light-colored fur on the
nose or ears, they are more
susceptible to skin cancer.
Keep him inside if possible,
during the hottest part of the
day.
Backyard barbecues
can be fun, but sometimes
Rover can be quicker than
you think and grab a piece
of meat, like a chicken leg
off the table in no time.
It doesn9t matter whether
they9re from chicken
wings or pork ribs, cooked
meat bones cause all sorts
of problems, especially
if they get lodged in the
mouth, throat or esopha-
gus. Make sure your guests
have somewhere to dispose
of their carnivorous waste
well out of your pooch9s
way.
Keep an eye on your dog
and don9t leave him unat-
tended. It9s important to
exercise common sense and
proceed with caution to help
keep your dog safe, like any
other member of the family.
Summertime comes with its
own set of hazards, so make
sure you are familiar with
the risks. Learn what warn-
ing signs mean trouble and
when in doubt, call your
veterinarian right way. The
summer will be much eas-
ier for you and your dog to
enjoy!
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