Tag archives: safety

‘Tis the season of holiday festivities. Delicious food, and festive decorations, and holiday parties – oh my! While these activities are exciting and fun, they can pose potential dangers to your pets. The holidays are expensive enough as it is, don’t let an emergency trip to the vet make an even larger dent in your wallet! By educating yourself on the following, you can avoid a jingle bell flop.

Food Safety:

Whether you are cooking or eating holiday meals, it can sometimes be tempting to share some with those big puppy dog eyes looking up to you. However, you should avoid feeding your pets scraps as many holiday foods can cause more harm than good. In addition, be careful where you place your food in case you have any counter-surfing pets who will grab food from the table when you’re not looking.

• If your pet eats a large amount of fatty meat, such as ham, it can potentially cause side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea due to the high salt and sodium content within the meat.
• Chocolate and other desserts are a holiday staple. However, chocolate in particular is very harmful to pets because it contains caffeine and theobromine ...

Fall brings some wonderful changes; brisk evening walks with your dog, autumn decorations, curling up on the couch to watch your favorite Halloween flicks to name a few. With the changing of the seasons comes some notable adjustments for your dog too. Below are a few things to help you and your dog prepare for the upcoming autumn season.

Keep an Eye Out for Wildlife

Be extra vigilant this time of year of your dog’s off leash whereabouts. If you live in a more rural area where wildlife is prominent, it may be second nature to keep your eyes peeled for deer, moose, coyotes or even bear. Don’t forget about the smaller animals like porcupine and skunks, all very busy with their winter preparations. These animals could pose unwanted threats to your canine.

Cooler Temperatures

Colder temperatures and shorter days often mean less time spent outside, which could decrease the amount of exercise your dog is getting. This could be especially perilous on older dogs with arthritis. Protexin Veterinary recommends short and consistent exercise for arthritic dogs, if possible, such as shorter walks multiple times a day rather than long winter walks. Additionally, moist heat therapy can decrease pain and ...

With wildfire season upon us, it is important to prepare and understand what actions to take in the case of an evacuation, specifically with your pets. Fires can be unpredictable and can be destructive within a matter of minutes. Whether you live in an area that is susceptible to wildfires or not, taking these steps to prepare for an emergency can go a long way in the time of a disaster.

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, you need to be mindful of how your dog reacts to fireworks and loud noises and take this into consideration when planning Independence Day activities.

For some dogs, fireworks are a non-issue. Hunting dogs and others that are used to loud noises, the thunderous booms that accompany the flash and sparkle of pyrotechnics, can be just another night.

However, for others, the stress experienced by dogs during fireworks often triggers the fight-or-flight response. The loud noises usually make the dog want to leave the situation – animal-control services see a 30-percent increase in lost pets during the time aournd the 4th of July holiday. Although you need to take the appropriate steps to keep your pet safe and secure, so that you don't risk losing your pet as many may run away, the stress also increases the possibility of behavior issues, such a biting, even in a dog that has never shown aggression. 

To keep your dog protected, make sure you provide a safe place for it during the holiday season – their crate is an excellent spot that is very secure both physically and psychologically. Always leash your dog before going ...

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, it is hard not to think about how we can help those affected by the floods. Another common thought is how we would personally prepare to keep our families and pets safe. In the past Paw Print Genetics has attended the Washington State Search and Rescue Conference in Ellensburg, Wash. The conference provides educational classes for civilian search and rescue personnel, including canine teams. Most counties have a search and rescue team ready to accept new trained members. Classes and teams can be found online by performing a google search for “Search and Rescue (SAR) near me”.

While several canine-related classes were offered at the conference we attended in 2013, including tracking, testing and meteorology, a valuable class I would like to share was the first-aid class offered by Dr. Michael Fuller, a 30-plus-year veterinarian at the local Ellensburg Animal Hospital. He covered a lot of material in the hour-and-a-half session, everything from must-have items in a first aid kit to broken bones. And while the class was devoted to SAR teams that are often far removed from help, the suggestions on what to pack make an excellent quick, easy-to-carry kit for travelers ...