Hot Weather Protection for Your Dog

Sunny summer days seem to incite all sorts of fun activities with your dog: from playing fetch in the park to frisbee on the beach. Unfortunately, as temperatures soar, the hot weather also brings with it some very specific hazards such as sunburn, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Good news, these threats to your pooch are PREVENTABLE.

Protecting Your Dog from Sunburn.

Just like humans, dogs can be burned by the sun, especially the nose, tips of the ears and around the lip area. Common sense dictates that you keep your dog in the shade during the hours when the sun's rays are most intense - usually between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. However, if you need to be outside during these times, it's okay to apply sun-block to your dog's nose and the exposed skin on the ears. It's a little risky to apply sun-block around the lips so instead just keep a close watch and make sure that the area doesn't get too pink. If you notice that any portion of your dog's skin is reddened or blistered, contact your veterinarian right away.

Protecting Your Dog from Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke.

Leaving a dog in a parked car during summer weather is something that you should never do. The temperature inside a parked car can reach one and one-half to two times the temperature outside the car. Leaving your dog in your parked car on a warm day is the leading cause of heat stroke, and it frequently leads to the death of your dog. Dogs can also suffer heat exhaustion or heat stroke if they exercise too heavily on a hot, humid day or, if they live outdoors and don't have shelter from the sun. Dogs are also susceptible if they are overweight or suffer from lung or heart ailments. Older dogs are less tolerant of heat and may succumb to heat strokes more readily than younger dogs.

In many jurisdictions, it is against the law to leave your dog unattended in your car during hot weather or very cold weather. Due to the large number of dogs that die of heat stroke from being left unattended in a vehicle, the courts frequently assess large fines, jail time or both.

A few simple actions on your part can help protect your dog from heat exhaustion and heat stroke:

Don't take your dog with you on errands if you need to leave her in the car. However, if you're traveling with your dog and must make a stop, even for the shortest period of time, consider leaving the air conditioner on.

If you're accustomed to taking your dog with you when power-walking, jogging or cycling, don't push her on exceptionally hot days. If she falls behind, let her take a break. Or, better yet, switch your time to either later in the evening when the heat of the day is past, or earlier in the day before the heat has had a chance to build up.

For dogs who live outside, make sure to provide "all-day shade" such as a ventilated doghouse, large beach umbrella or overhang that will remain shaded even when the sun shifts throughout the day.

Keep older dogs and those with lung or heart conditions inside your home on hot days. If you don't have air conditioning, keep a fan running.

Avoid any situations that force your dog to stand on sun baked surfaces such as cement sidewalks, a truck bed or beach sand. The extreme heat can cause blisters on her pads (if your dog gets blisters on her pads, get her to a veterinarian as soon as possible). If you simply must walk your dog in the heat of the day, tread on grassy areas as much as possible.

Water, Water, Water!

And last but not least . . . like you, your dog needs to hydrate frequently so be sure to provide unlimited access to cool, clean, refreshing drinking water.

Until next time,

Teia

Attracting Birds to Your Garden

The type of birds that will be attracted to your garden will be determined by the geographic location of your garden. For example, if you live in northern Canada, you are unlikely to attract Hummingbirds to your garden. Similarly if you live in the southern United States, you are unlikely to attract Ptarmigan to your garden.

To find out which birds are in your geographic area, you should consult bird books written by specialists from your area. You can also talk to avid bird watchers who live in your area. They should be able to tell you what you can expect to see in the way of birds coming to your garden, Libraries and book stores should have books that will identify which migrating birds may pass through your area.

Once you know what type of birds you can expect to find in your geographic area you can then get books to see what type of food and habitat that these birds require. You have to create an environment in your garden that will attract the type of birds you wish to have there.

Birds need water. If you supply this vital necessity in the form of a bird bath or a pond, you will have many types of birds come to your garden. Installation of bird feeders will provide food for visiting birds. It is also advisable to plant flowers, shrubs or trees that attract birds or provide berries or fruit that birds eat. Bird houses of the size and construction specific to certain birds resident in your area during breeding season will also attract birds to your yard. For example if purple martins reside in your area during the breeding season, installation of purple martin apartment style bird houses will probably result in these birds nesting in your bird houses. Not only will you get a chance to see these birds on a daily basis, but they will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes in your area.

My mom and dad provide bird feeders on a year around basis in our yard and as a result we have many birds coming to visit. I often sit or lay on the arm of the love seat near the front windows and watch all these birds flying into and out of the yard. In winter we have Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Gray Jays, Ravens, Magpies, Sparrows, Pigeons, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Bohemian Waxwings and Chickadees in our yard. In the summer, we have Crows, Gray Jays, Magpies, Sparrows, Pigeons, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Evening Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings, Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Red-wing Blackbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Brewers Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Junks, Robins, Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows in the yard or flying above it. We occasionally have Merlins and American Kestrels swooping through the yard in the warmer weather looking for an unwary song bird to catch for a fresh meal. Other occasional visitors are Blue Jays, Kinglets, Nuthatches, Ptarmigan, Mourning Doves, Wrens, Swainson's Thrush, Warblers, Lark Bunting, Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings.

We have a number of Manitoba Maple trees separating the front of our yard from the street and this encourages birds to come into our yard as does the Mountain Ash tree which produces juicy berries in the fall.

By providing food, water and quiet hiding places for birds, you will have these winged visitors in your yard in no time.

Until next time,

Teia

WELCOME

Welcome to Birdhouse Publishing. As a pet, I can tell you all about pets and what they need and want.

Make sure that you become well acquainted with the vet that you have chosen for your pet. A short time after you bring your new pet home, make an appointment with a veterinarian and introduce your pet to him or her. Have your pet checked and make sure that any vaccinations that are needed are attended to. Your new companion's life could very well depend on having adequate protection from diseases present in your part of the world.

Your new pet will give you many years of companionship and love if you ensure that he/she has plenty of nutritious food, clean water, a safe place to stay and vaccinations to ward off potential diseases.

I hope that you will visit me often and that you will enjoy the postings that my dad enters for me.