March 23rd is National Puppy Day! It was established in 2006 by Colleen Paige who started her career at The National Institute of Dog Training in Los Angeles and since then has had over 20 years of dog behavior expertise. She created National Puppy Day as a time to appreciate and celebrate your young pups and all the happiness they bring. Some ways to celebrate could be to give them an extra treat and more play time!
One of the primary ways people buy puppies are from breeders. However, it is important to find someone who is responsible and safe when raising their dogs. Make sure that the bred dogs live in a spacious and clean home. The breeder should also always be transparent and open about their practices. It is also advised to avoid puppy mills, large scale commercial breeding operations that often care more about profits than the actual well-being of the pets they raise. Although you may want to purchase a dog, it is highly encouraged for you to consider adopting one from an animal shelter or rescue. Not only is this more sustainable and healthy for the dogs in need of an owner, but also more financially responsible! Organizations like The Shelter Pet Project can help you find a great dog or puppy in your area!
What are some of the responsibilities of being a good pet owner?
Whether it’s shelter animals, rescue dogs, or homeless animals, your fluffy friends require only a few essentials from their owners. Being a good pet owner means feeding your pet properly, giving them exercise, bringing them in for annual checkups, giving them social interaction, and if it’s your first time getting a puppy, make sure to puppy proof your house. Most importantly, welcome your pet into the family and shower your furry friend with the attention they love and need. Our pets are not property that we own, but family members and companions that depend on us for their care.
The goal of National Puppy Day was not just meant to focus attention on puppies and shower them with puppy products, but also to raise awareness and put an end to the inhumane treatment of puppies in puppy mills. Puppy mills are unsanitary and cruel establishments that breed puppies for sale, and by adopting puppies, many lives are being saved. Here are some fun facts about these adorable animals that you may never have known. While human babies sleep an average of 16 hours a day, puppies sleep about 20 hours a day so they can fully develop. Their teeth, hearing and vision aren’t fully developed until 4 weeks. Researchers also say that looking at cute puppy photos helps people focus better.
April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month! It was started by the American Red Cross to raise cognizance on the importance of knowing how to perform first aid on your pet in the event of an accident or emergency. Below, we will talk about some important tips to ensure you and your pet continue to live safe and happy lives!
French bulldog with first aid kit isolated
Always Keep Emergency Contacts Handy.
In the case of an accident, it is necessary that you have emergency numbers to call for your pet. Some of these could include your veterinarian’s after hours emergency number, ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435), and the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661). Consider keeping these numbers on a sticky note placed on your fridge door or within your 1 deposit casino uk.com wallet to gain quick access to them when needed.
Take a Training Course
There are classes offered by The American Red Cross and local veterinarians that are available to teach the public about general first aid. You can also find informational videos online or buy a pet first aid guide in order to better prepare yourself to handle an emergency. Some important things to check are your pet’s vital signs including pulse rate, respiratory rate, etc. You should also learn to clean and bandage wounds, how to protect yourself from bites, when it is required to bring your animal to the ER, and perhaps most importantly how to perform CPR. Here are some helpful links:
In case of a pet emergency situation, it’s always important to have a first aid kit handy for your furry friends; you can purchase one that’s already assembled or consider setting up your own. Make sure the kit contains splint supplies, absorbent gauze pads, and non-stick bandages to dress wounds, along with cotton balls, antiseptic spray, an ice pack, gloves and tweezers. In case your pet consumes something poisonous, it’s also helpful to have hydrogen peroxide on hand. Milk of magnesia may also be beneficial in certain cases to help treat digestive issues.
When your pet shows any warning signs of health issues, be prepared to stay calm and act quickly. If their symptoms seem life threatening, it may be necessary to perform some basic emergency procedures. If your furry friend is unresponsive, check their airway to determine if anything is stuck in their throat. Check their breathing and heartbeat; you may need to perform animal CPR and heimlich maneuver if needed. If there is external bleeding, tightly wrap the wound and/or splint any broken bones. Then, contact veterinary care as soon as possible for care guidance until emergency care is available.
Human wrapping paw of injured dog with gauze bandage
Speak With One of Our Veterinarians
When your pet is faced with medical health issues and veterinary emergency clinics are unavailable, contact telepaws for veterinary assistance and pet care guidance. Our veterinarians offer the best care and assistance to pet owners by providing information on how to prepare for medical emergencies regarding their pet.
A microchip is a small, electronic chip no larger than a single grain of rice. It does not contain a battery, rather, is activated by the radio waves outputted by a scanner when passed over the area. The chip then transmits information to the scanner. Microchipping is the process of inserting this device into your pet.
Why do people microchip their pets?
Many choose to microchip their pets to increase the chance of finding their pet when it is lost. Most shelters and veterinary clinics start the process of returning a pet to their rightful owner by scanning for microchips. If the 1 deposit casino canada.com contains the necessary and accurate information, the pet can quickly be returned to their owner.
Is microchipping painful or dangerous?
Although every pet has their own pain tolerances, microchipping is usually no more painful than any typical shot. Microchips are extremely tiny and are injected just beneath the skin using a hypodermic needle. No surgery or anesthesia is required and can usually be done during a routine veterinary office visit.
What information is stored in a microchip?
Pet microchips generally only contain microchip identification numbers, and they cannot track a lost animal. While the microchip does not have medical information on your pet, certain microchip registration companies may store the information in microchip databases for reference. Some livestock or horse microchipping services may also carry information on the animal’s body temperature.
Do microchips replace the use of identification tags?
No, microchip technology is a permanent form of identification that cannot be interfered with. On the other hand, a collar with identification tags consisting of accurate and up to date contact info is irreplaceable; it’s very efficient to read the tag and contact the owner. If a collar with tags is removed or lost, microchips may be the best bet to finding the pet owner.
Where can I get my pet microchipped?
Do not implant the microchip yourself; you must get it professionally implanted by a microchip company of some sort. Most shelters and businesses will host a microchipping event of some sort to microchip pets. It is also likely available in your local veterinary clinics.
If your dog is acting weird, there’s a chance they are showing signs of tick bites or a tick-borne disease of some sort. You may be wondering, what exactly does “acting weird” mean? If your dog is showing any of the following symptoms, it might mean they have been affected by ticks. Some of the most common signs are constantly licking or chewing in a particular area, inflamed or red irritated skin, shaking their head often, a fever, or even just a bump. In a rare case, your pet may have tick paralysis, so if your pet has numbness in their joints or trouble walking, that’s a sign that a tick has injected toxins into their body. When tick paralysis is caught early, the mortality rate is pretty high, but if you wait too long, it could change. If your dog experiences any of these symptoms, you may want to contact your vet about it.
How can I prevent ticks?
Have you ever wondered if there was a way to protect your pet from ticks? Believe it or not, there are actually vaccines available, but it doesn’t fully prevent your four legged friend from tracking these bugs into your home. These pests are commonly found hiding under bushes, tall grass, and shaded areas due to their sunlight sensitivity, so if you have an outdoorsy pet, their exposure to ticks is much higher. Your pets can easily track bugs onto your floor and into their beds, so it’s important to vacuum and wash their bedding pretty often. If you have a yard, it is recommended to cut any tall grass, trim your bushes, and preferably keep the ground clear of any spaces that the ticks will crawl into. Typically, if you live in humid climates, cutting grass or bushes doesn’t fully guarantee tick prevention. In fact, there are many tick preventive topical medications your vet can suggest for your pet. These treatments are usually applied monthly and prevents any fleas or ticks from giving your animal cooties. Make sure to advise your veterinarian before using any treatments.
How do you treat ticks?
Whether it’s the common tick, a deer tick, or a black legged tick, you can easily heal your furry friends by doing a few simple tasks. Removing these insects from fur isn’t too difficult. All you’ll need are tweezers, gloves, antiseptic cream, and alcohol. Carefully pull the tick out in a slow and steady motion and apply antiseptic cream to the affected area(s). Then clean off the tweezers with alcohol and make sure to wash your hands. For more information on how to safely remove a tick, click here. Don’t want to go through the hassle of removing a tick? Well, luckily for you, there are other options. Similar to tick prevention, you can also apply a monthly topical treatment on your dog or cat to make sure these bugs don’t land on your pet again. To ensure there is no reminiscence of these pests, check all members in the household for ticks, because if there is host availability, these bugs won’t hesitate to feed on another house member. Treating the house and lawn with tick treatment can also be beneficial to prevent them from coming back.
A dog having a tick removed from its ear.
What areas of my dog should I check for ticks?
Dogs are curious and playful creatures, so it is not uncommon for a tick to find its way onto their body. Ticks can be found in the many crevices and small hiding places of a dog’s head and ears. Ticks can also be found crawling in-between your dog’s toes or in the dark and moist areas of its tail. Make sure to also pay close attention to the eyelids of a dog as a tick can be mistaken for a skin tag or eye discharge.
What do ticks look like?
Ticks have four active life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Tick larvae are only a few millimeters long, whereas nymphs are 1-2 millimeters long. Adult ticks look like small brown or black insects about 10 millimeters long. They can be distinguished by their eight-legged appearance, oval shape, lack of antennae, and preference for feeding on larger animals. Depending on the tick species, they can have a variety of appearances. See the chart below for examples of tick coloring for the Rocky Mountain tick, Wood tick, American Dog tick, and many others. Remember to always check for tick bites after outdoor activities with your dog!
A variety of tick species and their stages of life.
Can ticks make my dog sick?
Ticks are fairly common ectoparasites of dogs. The life cycle of a tick is very short; it takes about two weeks for them to complete one generation. Ticks attach to their animal hosts by inserting their mouthparts into their skin through the level of protective animal fur. An infected tick can cause the transfer of tickborne diseases and tick-borne illness like ehrlichia, and lyme disease. Both of these tick diseases can cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting, lack of appetite, swollen joints, swollen limbs, tender lymph nodes, and lowering of blood platelet count. These symptoms will typically last for two to four weeks if left untreated so if your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to a veterinarian immediately.
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