How to Keep Your Dog Safe at Summer Gatherings

By Bear (Canine Guest Blogger)

I just love summer, don’t you? There’s swimming and running around, playing ball and of course, lots of cookouts and people to play with. Yep, it’s a dog’s life that’s for sure! Today I’m taking a break from the social whirl to talk to everyone about some safety rules to keep us doggies healthy and happy through the summer. Summer get-togethers can be dangerous for dogs, so we count on our people to keep us safe.

Small Children

I’m a good dog; I love the kids at our house and I like to play with them because they don’t get too rough and don’t treat me like I’m a pony. I may be a little on the heavy side but I’m definitely not a horse! My mommy knows that I don’t have a lot of patience and may get snappy if a little kid pulls my hair or climbs on me, so she makes sure to let everyone who has small children know that I’m off limits. If there are going to be a lot of little kids around, my mom will put me on a run in my own area or keep me in the house so I can get a little peace! My mom definitely doesn’t want me to bite someone’s child, so she makes sure that I’m kept at a safe distance from small children who probably don’t want to hurt me, but might by accident. You might also want to read our article “Teaching Kids How to Approach an Unfamiliar Dog.”

Strangers

I see myself as a guard dog – protecting my family and our home is my job. When someone steps on the porch or knocks on the door, I don’t let anyone come in until my Mommy says it’s okay. If she tells me they are allowed and she lets me get a good whiff of them, I’ll usually go back to whatever I was doing. When we’re out in the yard and there are all kinds of people I don’t know coming and going, I get a little nervous. Mommy makes sure to bring everyone near me so I can check them out and get accustomed to their scent. She also warns them that I’m nervous around strangers and not to reach toward me quickly. She lets them know that once I get used to them they will be able to pet me, but not until I’m ready. Some of mommy’s friends are doggie parents too so they understand, but some aren’t and they are leery of getting too close to me. That’s fine with me. I’m a friendly dog, but I don’t like surprises and too many people crowding me.

Food

Oh the smells of a family cookout! I love the smell of the grill and the food being cooked on it, but mommy makes sure I don’t get too close because I may burn my nose or my tongue. When food is served mommy takes me indoors or to my area because she knows I will beg and someone may feed me something that’s on the list of human food that’s deadly for pets. I know she does it because she loves me, and she always gives me a few CANIDAE Tidnips™ treats for being a good girl, but sometimes the smell of steak or burgers is just too irresistible! I wish I had a human belly just for one day, so I could eat everything I wanted! Yep, my mommy knows I’m an eatin’ machine, so she takes me away from the temptation while the guests are eating. She also makes sure that all the remains of the meal get put in the trash can with the lid on it to keep me from eating something like a piece of plastic or paper plates.

Keeping Cool

Mom knows that I love the water, but I’m not a great swimmer. That’s why when we go swimming I have to wear a doggie life jacket. She also carries water and a bowl for me so that I don’t drink any yucky water. When we are at home and people come over for a cookout, I have a shady place where my run is so I can stay cool and drink from a big bucket of fresh water that my mom keeps full. I’ve got a lot of fur and in the middle of summer our temperatures are right around 100 degrees. That’s pretty darn hot to be wearing a fur coat! So on the hottest days, mom will just keep me inside with doggie gates up so that if someone comes in and leaves the door open I won’t escape.

There are a lot of things that responsible pet owners (like my mom!) have to do to keep us doggies safe and healthy. Be sure to teach your humans all the things they need to know too, so you can enjoy the summertime get-togethers with your family.
Read more by Bear’s Mom

Can Computer Games Teach Kids about Pet Care?

By Tamara L. Waters

Computer games have become a way of life for kids and adults alike. When it comes to pet-related games, do any of them actually teach skills or instill learning that will help a kid become a responsible pet owner? My own children have enjoyed computer games that involve caring for pets and while some are silly and useless entertainment, a few can actually introduce responsible pet care to children who have never owned a pet.

Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital

With this game, the player becomes a veterinarian who takes care of an assorted variety of animals – from horses and ponies, to cats, dogs, bunnies and even piglets. My daughter really enjoyed this game as she learned facts about the animals “she” was treating, and it piqued her interest to learn more about these animals and their care.

There are other similar computer games that allow the player to “become” a veterinarian and provide care for furry patients. There is Paws & Claws Pet Vet, Paws & Claws Pet Vet 2, Pet Vet 3D: Wild Animal Hospital, and Happy Tails: Animal Shelter which allows you to care for animals and find them a forever home.

Petz 5

This has been a favorite game for my kids. While the pet care obviously isn't realistic, I found that this game helped my kids learn about caring for pets in a fun and easy way. With this game, you choose a pet (a dog or a cat in your choice of breed and color), name it and then set out to play with and care for your pet. The animals in Petz 5 want affection (just like a real pet), need to be fed, played with, and paid attention to. If you don't feed your pet, he or she might run away.

What I found with this game was that while it was mostly for fun and entertainment, it introduced my kids to the concept that pets aren't toys that you just put away or care for when you feel like it. After the first time or two my kids forgot to care for their virtual pets and they ran away, they were more vigilant about making sure they took care of and fed their pets.

Petville

The Facebook game Petville is a game that my nine-year-old daughter enjoyed but it was simply for entertainment purposes. I played it with her several times and found that it wasn't a game that really provided more than that. The care for the pet isn't very realistic and even though a pet will run away if you forget to feed it, you can easily pay to get it back from the pound.

In real life, this isn't how it works. Thankfully, my children have real pets to care for, and they understand that feeding, socializing and regular care is just part of daily life when you have a pet.

How can these computer games help kids learn about responsible pet ownership? I do believe they provide value by introducing kids to the concept of pet care, but all in all, they are just games. Nothing is the same as the actual hands-on care of pets. If you would like an opportunity to teach your children hands-on pet care with real pets, check with your local animal shelter. Many shelters appreciate and need volunteers who are willing to come in and play with the animals, walk them, brush them and provide actual care. This is a better way to help your kids learn about caring for real pets prior to bringing a pet into your home.

Read more by Tamara L. Waters

Should Your Dog Get the Lyme Disease Vaccine?

By Ruthie Bently

I have lived in southern Minnesota for almost twelve years now. We don’t usually see ticks of any kind before May, when the temperature warms enough up for them to become active; this year was the exception to the rule. After a ramble with Skye I found the first tick, not on Skye but on my own arm. It was only the second week of March.

There are eight ticks in the United States that are responsible for ten diseases people catch; Lyme disease is one that our dogs can catch too. The Deer Tick or Black-Legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis) is not the only tick that carries the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It is also carried by a tick known as the Western Black-Legged Tick (I. pacificus) on the West Coast of the United States. It was originally thought that only the Northern Deer Tick (Ixodes dammini) was a carrier of Lyme disease. The Lone Star Tick (Ambylomma americanum), Ixodes Angustus, and Ixodes spinipalpis have been shown in experiments to be vectors of Lyme disease. This means that due to the development of the disease, there could be more than three ticks we have to worry about in the future. Depending on your location in the United States, from 1% to more than 90% of the ticks can be infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease. The nymph stage of the tick life cycle is the most common for Lyme disease transmission.

Chemical and medical preparations for tick prevention have been around for many years: collars, powders, chewables and topical treatments to protect for a month at a time. There is currently a vaccine available for canine Lyme disease, but there are pros and cons for it. As a responsible pet owner, I always look at something from all sides before I make a decision, because I want the best for the creatures in my care. While the vaccine is reputed to keep your dog from getting Lyme disease, there are dogs that have been vaccinated that have still contracted Lyme disease. Proponents of the vaccine state that it will keep a dog from becoming a carrier and transmitting it to their owner. When I asked my vet about this, he stated you can’t get Lyme disease from your dog; it comes from a tick and cannot be passed from dog to human.

One manufacturer guarantees their vaccine and states that they will pay for 50% of any treatment a dog needs if they do contract Lyme disease. While this sounds good, I have to wonder why they’re only offering to pay for 50% of the treatment. This makes me question vaccinating my dog against the disease in the first place. Other things to consider are that the Lyme vaccine only provides immunity for a short time span, and needs to be administered yearly. It can cause an untreatable, fatal form of Lyme disease. None of the veterinary schools in the United States recommend it. Prolonged use of the vaccine can cause kidney problems in dogs.

Many dogs do not show symptoms of Lyme disease until they have had it for between four and six months, and some dogs never show symptoms. The Canine SNAP 3DX (or C6 SNAP) is a test for antibodies in a dog’s body specific to Lyme disease and should not be affected if you dog has been vaccinated for Lyme disease as the antibodies are only present after infection. Your vet can perform the test and it’s reputed to be very accurate in Lyme detection. If your dog tests positive, the Lyme Quantitative C6 Antibody test is suggested as a follow-up. It can be used as a baseline not only for diagnosis, but for indicating progress in the therapy of the disease.

If contracted by dogs, Lyme disease can be treated either allopathically or holistically. However, because of the seriousness of this disease to your pet’s health, this is not one you can attempt to treat by yourself at home, with an over the counter fix. You need to seek veterinary help.

In my opinion, vaccinating for Lyme disease is a bad idea, and I live in one of the states where Lyme disease is high for dogs. It may lull you into a false sense of security; there are other tick borne diseases that our dogs can contract. The other diseases aren’t going away any time soon and if history is any indicator they may just get worse. Tick prevention should be a consideration in your line of defense. After all, Lyme disease started in Lyme, Connecticut and now is nationwide. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you seek the counsel of your veterinarian before you decide whether to vaccinate for Lyme disease, or not.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently