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Stay cool

May 31, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

On a warm day cars heat up like ovens, so don’t take your dog along for the ride.

Keep cool – dogs die in hot cars

If it’s warm outside and you’re going out in the car, think very carefully about what you are going to do with your dog. You should never leave a dog alone in a car. It can get unbearably hot in a car on a sunny day, even when it’s not warm. In fact when it’s just 22°C/72°F outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C/117°F within an hour.

Unlike humans, dogs pant to help keep themselves cool. In a hot stuffy car, dogs can’t cool down – leaving a window open or a sunshield on your windscreen won’t keep your car cool enough. Dogs die in hot cars.

You now have a legal duty to care for your animal and if you put your animal at risk you could face prosecution. You would also have to live with the fact that your thoughtless action resulted in terrible suffering for your pet.

Heatstroke – early warning

Some dogs are more prone to heatstroke. For example dogs with short snouts, fatter or heavily muscled dogs and long-haired breeds as well as very old or very young dogs. Dogs with certain diseases are also more prone to heatstroke, as are dogs on certain medication.

If dogs are unable to reduce their body temperature, they will develop heatstroke. These are some signs to look out for:

HEAVY PANTING
PROFUSE SALAVATION
A RAPID PULSE
VERY RED GUMS/TONGUE
LETHARGY
LACK OF COORDINATION
RELUCTANCE OR INABILITY TO RISE AFTER COLLAPSING
VOMITING
DIARRHOEA
LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES

Heatstroke – first aid

If your dog shows any symptoms of heatstroke, move him/her to a shaded, cool area and ring your vet for advice immediately. Heatstroke can be fatal and should always be treated as an emergency.

Dogs suffering from heatstroke urgently need to have their body temperature gradually lowered:

immediately douse your dog with cool (not cold) water, to avoid shock – you could put your dog in a shower and run cool water over him/her or use a spray filled with cool water and place your dog in the breeze of a fan
let your dog drink small amounts of cool water
continue to douse your dog with cool water until his/her breathing starts to settle – never cool your dog so much that he/she begins to shiver.

ONCE YOU HAVE COOLED YOUR DOG DOWN YOU SHOULD TAKE HIM/HER STRAIGHT TO THE VETERINARY SURGERY.

Top tips – for warm weather

Your dog should always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment if he/she is feeling hot.
Never leave your dog alone in a car. If you want to take your dog with you on a car journey, make sure that your destinateion is dog-friendly – you won’t be able to leave your dog in the car and you don;t want your day out to be ruined!
If you have to leave your dog outside, you must provide a cool, shady spot where he/she can escape from the sun at all times of the day.
Make sure your dog always has a good supply of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days and give your dog frequent small amounts.
Never leave your dog in a glass conservatory or a caravan. Even if it is cloudy when you leave, the sun may come out later in the day and make it unbearably hot.
Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excess hair. Give long-coated breeds a hair-cut at the start at the start of summer, and later in the season, if necessary.
Dogs need exercise, even when it is hot, but walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening. Never allow your dog to exercise excessively in hot weather.
Dogs can get sunburned too – particularly those with light coloured noses or light coloured fur on their ears – ask your vet for advice on pet-safe sunscreen.

Filed Under Banner Tagged With dog, safety, summer

Do me a favour – don’t touch

May 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Every spring and summer the RSPCA is contacted by thousands of people who find what they think is an abandoned young bird or other orphaned animal.

In most cases these youngsters have not been abandoned and ‘rescuing’ them may do more harm than good.

Their mother is usually close by and looking out for them – human interference can lessen a young animal’s chances of survival.

Don’t panic if you see a young wild animal on its own.

If you find a young bird

out of its nest, it is probably a fledgling. Fledglings of garden birds usually leave the nest about two weeks after hatching – just before they can fly. They will have grown all or most of their feathers and are very mobile and can walk, run and hop on to low branches.

Don’t try to return a fledgling to its nest as you may disturb other young birds. Fledglings are fed by their parents who are rarely far away, encouraging the youngsters to stay in cover. Often one parent will look after the fledgling while the other makes a nest for a second or even third brood of young.

If you are worried,

go straight away from the site and return in an hour or so. You will almost certainly find that the natural parents have taken care of the youngster. Young animals which are in immediate danger from a predator or traffic should be placed out of harm, a short distance away.

Between April and July each year the RSPCA collects over 20,000 young birds.

If you think a bird

is genuinely orphaned – for example both parents have been killed by a cat or it is clearly sick – put it in a dark, warm box and take it to your nearest veterinary surgeon or RSPCA centre for on-going treatment and rehabilitation.

If you find an unfeathered bird that has fallen out of the nest (probably by accident), this should also be brought into care immediately.

Fawn

If you come across a young deer,

please remember that they are also very resilient in the wild but very difficult to rehabilitate. Once removed from their natural habitat, they often die from stress.

If you see a fawn,

the chances are it is witing for its mother. Roe deer give birth in May and June and fallow deer mostly have their young in June. Fawns can walk within an hour of being born and follow their mother unless she intends travelling long distances for food. In this case the mother will lead the fawn to a quiet covered area where it will stay well hidden until her return.

Fox cub

Learning about life

It is not uncommon for four-week old fox cubs to be seen outside their earth. Cubs learn how to develop their survival and hunting skills by spending their days alone, in or around patches of cover above ground.

Parent foxes or close relatives are usually nearby and, although the cubs may look vulnerable, intervention would probably do more harm than good.

If you are concerned about a fox cub

which is obviously sick, injured or distressed, contact the RSPCA for advice. Otherwise leave a supply of dog food and water nearby and check again after 24 hours.

In an emergency, keep handling to a minimum and take the cub to a veterinary surgeon or an RSPCA wildlife hospital or animal centre immediately. Make a note of exactly where you found it.

If you see a young hedgehog

out during the daytime it may be unwell or in trouble, in which case you should phone the RSPCA. for further information on how you can help to make your garden more hedgehog-friendly, visit the RSPCA website at http://www.rspca.org.uk.

Remember – no matter how hard you try, you cannot look after a young animal as well as its parents. If you find a baby bird or mammal on its own and you really want to help, leave it alone – if you are worried come back later check all is well.

RSPCA Contact numbers:

For general information please call the RSPCA on: 0870 33 35 999 (during office hours).

If you need to report an injured animal please ring 0870 55 55 999. Your call may be recorded for operational purposes.

Filed Under Banner Tagged With baby, deer, fawn, fledging

Hedgehogs and you

May 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Helping hedgehogs in the garden

If you’ve got a garden, hedgehogs are useful visitors. They will eat slugs, beetles, caterpillars and a variety of other insects.

To attract hedgehogs to your garden you can try providing shelter, both natural – by creating ‘wild’ areas – and man-made by placing a piece of board against a pile of bricks to form a type of bivouac or buy a purpose built hedgehog house. Hedgehog house and hedgehog food mix are both available from CJ WildBird Foods – visit www.birdfood.co.uk.

Food and fresh water at any time of the year will encourage visiting hedgehogs to return regularly. You could try leaving out food such as minced meat, fresh liver, tinned dog food (not fish-based), or even scrambled eggs.

Hedgehogs like milk but it may cause youngsters severe diarrhoea. So it’s best to give hedgehogs plain, fresh water each night in a shallow bowl. They should never be given cow’s milk.

Beware

Garden ponds

can be death traps to small animals. Make sure there is always an easy route for hedgehogs to climb out of thr water. Steps built out of house brick or wire mesh are often used. Ideally swimming pools should have shallow steps and a tight-fitting insulation cover should be used overnight.

Strimmers

should be used sparingly under hedges and in other areas of undergrowth. Hedgehogs and other animals are likely to be resting there during the day.

Drains

and similar open holes frequently trap unwary hedgehogs and they can starve if they are not rescued. Keep all drain covers in good condition and cover any open holes.

Litter

is a real hazard. Hedgehogs frequently get their heads stuck in tins, plastic binders from drinks cans or discarded yogurt pots. Make sure you dispose of your rubbish safely.

Nets

particularly those used for tennis, football or cricket, must be furled well above the ground when not in use. Hedgehogs often get entangled and die of starvation. Fruit nets are a similar source of danger but can be kept taut to stop animals getting entangled.

Slug pellets

can poison hedgehogs and should only be used as a last resort. Try using other methods such as beer traps, or sprinkling fine sand or ground up shells around the plants you need to protect. Rings made of cut down plastic drinks bottles can offer protection to individual plants and aluminium sulphate-based products can be used over wider areas.

If all else fails and you have to use pellets, place them under a slate which is inaccessible to hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs hibernate

between November and mid-March but they can sometimes be seen out and about in winter, when the weather has been mild. Try to keep aside a hedgehog-friendly area of garden, leaving welcome heaps of leaves and brushwood. If you have to light a bonfire, always make sure there are no animals sheltering in the pile.

Caring for autumn orphams

Hedgehogs born late in the season will not have sufficient fat reserves to survive hibernation. Young orphans found weighing less than 500 gms (1.1 lb) at the end of the autumn will need to put on weight to see them through the winter or, if left, will probably die.

Orphans found weighing under 500 gms after mid October can be housed indoors and fed two heaped tablespoons of food daily including small amounts of crushed dog biscuits to provide bulk and roughage, to put on weight before being released to hibernate.

Hedgehog temporary home

A garage or similar building is an ideal temporary home, but don’t put hedgehogs on a metal grid or wire floor – they have sensitive feet! Place the hedgehog in a large box with plenty of clean, fresh hay, crumpled newspapers or dry leaves. If the orphan is very young it should be kept warm – a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel is ideal. Also take care to keep direct human contact to a minimum so that the animal does not become unnaturally tame.

On reaching a weight of 550 and 680 gms (1.2 – 1.5 lb) the young hedgehog, if active and whilst the weather is still relatively mild, can be released at night back to the area where it was found. If an alternative release site is required, select an area where there are invertebrates, no potential hazards and signs of other hedgehogs being active in the local area. Continue to provide food and a shelter with nesting material to help the hedgehog build a winter nest.

Filed Under Banner Tagged With caring, hedgehog, safety

BANG! Fireworks frighten animals

April 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Nowadays fireworks feature at all kinds of celebrations – not just bonfire night. Many people enjoy fireworks, but many animals are frightened by them.

If your pet is frightened by loud noises, don’t ignore the problem. You should always seek advice from your vet who will, if necessary, be able to refer you to a professional animal behaviour counsellor.

Kitten

Keeping cats and dogs safe and secure

During the fireworks season, at nightfall, close all windows and curtains and put on some music to mask and muffle the fireworks sounds.
If your dog or cat shows any signs of fear, try to ignore his/her behaviour unless there is imminent danger – for example, if he/she is likely to self-harm.
Never show anger to your dog or cat if he/she appears frightened – this will only convince your pet that there really is something to be afraid of!
Do not fuss over or try to reassure your dog or cat when he/she is frightened.
Make sure your dog or cat is kept in a safe and secure environment at all times, so that he/she can’t bolt and escape in reaction to a sudden noise. If you have had your pet microchipped you will certainly improve the chances of a safe return if he/she does escape.

Dogs – Before the fireworks start

If your dog is frightened by fireworks, a dof-appeasing pheromone diffuser that disperses calming chemicals into the room may be a good option, or your vet might even prescribe medication.
Owners of fearful dogs can also plan ahead by providing a ‘doggy play area’ in their home – choose one of the quieter rooms in your house.
Before the fireworks season begins, train your dog to associate the play area with positive experiences. A good way of doing this is to play games with your dog in the play area, with a variety of toys. The toys should be swapped regularly and put away when not in use so that your dog does not become bored with them.
Some dogs appreciate being able to withdraw when they are frightened, so the provision of a doggy den in the ‘doggy play area’ may help them to cope. For example, this could be a wardrobe or a cupboard. Packing this with old duvets and blankets will make it more comfortable and help to sound-proof the area. Give your dog access to this place at all times, even when you are not at home.

Treating your dog’s sound phobia

In the long term, your dog needs to learn to be less afraid of loud noises. With proper treatment this is achievable, so that the next firework season will be less stressful for you and your dog.

The RSPCA recommends the Sounds Scary! CD therapy pack. This includes two CDs of firework, gunshot and thunder noises, together with a comprehensive information booklet and easy to follow instructions.

To find out more about the Sounds Scary! pack including details of how to purchase a copy, please visit www.rspca.org.uk/fireworks.

Dog looking frightened

When the fireworks start

When the fireworks season begins, close any windows and black out the ‘doggy play area’ to remove any additional problems caused by flashing lights.
Each evening before the fireworks begin, move your dog to the play area and provide toys and other things that he/she enjoys. Preferably, make sure that there are things for you to do too, so that your dog is not left alone.

Dogs…

Set a good example and ignore the fireworks noise yourself. Play with a toy to see if your dog wants to join in, but don’t force him/her to play.
Exercise your dog during daylight hours – never take him/her for a walk when fireworks are being let off.
If you know of another dog that is not scared by noises and gets on well with your dog, then keeping the two together during the evening may help your dog to realise that there’s no need to be afraid.

Cats…

If possible, keep your cat indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off – remember to lock the cat flap once he/she is indoors.
Make sure that your cat has somewhere to hide if he/she wants to – for example, under or on top of some furniture or inside a cupboard. Don’t try to tempt him/her out, as this causes increased stress.

Small animals…

If your pets live outside, partly cover cages, pens and aviaries with blankets so that one area is well sound-proofed. Make sure that your pet is still able to look out.
Provide lots of extra bedding for your pets so that they have something to burrow in.

Remember, remember

If you are using fireworks at any kind of celebration, please use lower-noise fireworks, as they will reduce the likely stress caused to animals. You should make sure that pet and farm animal owners in the neighbourhood are aware of the date and time of the event.
Firework debris and litter can harm animals, so pick it all up after it has cooled down and dispose of it safely.
Keep cats and dogs indoors while any bonfire is alight. Ensure that any bonfire is a safe distance from aviaries or rabbit/guinea pig accommodation.
Bonfires can be fatal for wild animals such as hedgehogs, which can crawl into them to sleep. Build bonfires as late as possible to reduce the risk and make sure you disturb the bonfire’s foundations to give any wildlife a chance to escape before it is lit.

Filed Under Banner Tagged With bonfire, fireworks, new year