Spring Time Dangers



Spring has finally arrived and with it comes a whole new host of dangers for your pet.  You and you pets have been cooped up all winter and are just itching to get outside and now you have to worry about things hurting your pets out there too?  Don't worry, it isn't that bad when you know what to look out for.

Here is a run down of a few of the items to avoid while enjoying the sun with your pet!

Fertilizers and Lawn Treatments -
With the new grass growing, more and more people are turning to chemical methods to keep their lawns beautiful.  A perfect lawn can mean an unhealthy pet though.  Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers can be poisonous to animals and humans. Many lawn companies claim that their process is safer because they dilute their chemicals.  Not true.  Even in small doses, these harmful chemicals that are designed to kill weeds and unwanted pests, will do damage to your pet as well.



Try an all natural way to fertilize your lawn...worm castings!  Its true!  Earth worms are highly beneficial to the soil and the plants that grow there.  A healthier lawn means less weeds.  Less weeds mean less harmful pests.  No chemicals mean that you and your pets can roll around in the grass and enjoy the sun without worrying that your lawn is going to kill you.

Internal and External Parasites - 
Their baaack!  Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, the list goes on and on. The moist ground, the warmer days, all make for a perfect environment for these little pest to bred, multiply and make their way to you and your pets. If you live in the south, you should already be protecting your pet throughout the year but if you live in the northern states where it gets cold enough to kill these pests, now is the time to get your pet back onto flea and tick medication, get their immune system built up to fight the parasites and visit your veterinarian for deworming. 

Keeping you pet clean and healthy will help decrease the chance that these "bugs" with become a problem with your pet.

Allergies -
For those of you with seasonal allergies, this time of the year can be a nightmare.  It can be the same way with your pet.  The great thing is, is that what works for humans, can work for your pet as well.  Keeping your pet in tip top health will boost that immune system and allow them to fight allergens much better than those that lack in nutrition.  Benedryl is wonderful for pets as well.  Ask you veterinarian if this over the counter drug is right for your pet. 



Poisonous Plants - 
This is the biggest concern of all.  It is not common knowledge what plants are poisonous to pets.The ASPCA has compiled a list of poisonous plants. Click their logo below to view their comprehensive listing.


 Remember that Spring is meant to be a time for everyone and everything to let loose and have fun.  Get out there with your pets and soak up some sun....you both deserve it!

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Noise phobias - thunderstorms and your pet

A storm is on the horizon, damaging winds are blowing, lighting is causing havoc and all you can think about is how much damage your pet will do to himself or your house. You are not alone.  Many dogs are euthanized every year because of their fear of thunderstorms.  It doesn't have to be this way.  Now there are several routes to take to get your dog's fear under control.  From desensitazation to herbal remedies, there is hope!


Let's start with the easiest method - 

Natural Remedies -

Actually the easiest is through pharmaceuticals but who wants to put that type of thing into their pet anyway!  There are natural methods that work just as well and so we will focus on those.

Bach flower remedies - "Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English physician and homeopath, in the 1930s. The remedies are intended primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress."

The most popular of these Bach flower remedies is Rescue Remedy . This wonderful combination helps your pet become less stressed during those anxiety moments like thunderstorms.

Homeopathic remedies - "Homeopathy (also spelled homoeopathy or homœopathy) is a form of alternative medicine, first proposed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, that attempts to treat patients with heavily diluted preparations which are claimed to cause effects similar to the symptoms presented."
 
A proven formula that is all natural and works very well for anxiety and fear is Homeopet Anxiety TFLN.

Melatonin -  It has been recently found that melatonin works as a stress reliever for dogs.  Humans tend to use this product to help them sleep.  Dogs however do not seem to be effected the same way.  They will normally stay awake but in a calmer state.  The usage of this product should be discussed with your veterinarian as dosage requirements are different than those for humans.

Behavior Modification -

There are a few things in this category that can help out.  It's nice with dogs, many are food oriented and easily trained. Using some of these techniques along with the above remedies, may be needed for those hard cases.

Music therapy - We've all heard the saying "Music soothes the savage beast." Well, it's true! If you're searching for a way to calm an overly anxious dog, harp music may be the answer. Harp music has been successfully tested the effects of the vibrations and blended tones on wolves, dogs, cats, monkeys, goats, sheep, donkeys and gorillas.

How does it work? It is believed that the vibrations of the strings send out overtones -- some of which are inaudible to the human ear. The harmonic overtones work at a cellular level and reduce stress levels.

Scientific studies indicate the benefits of music therapy for humans: slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, speeding post-surgery recovery, elevating endorphin levels, bolstering immune function, decreasing stress related hormones.

Hug therapy - You should be hugging your pet regularly but now it has been shown that those hugs can do much more. Hugging seems to calm and focus some anxious and stressed dogs. Neurobiologists believe that any type of trauma can damage nerve receptors, leading to exaggerated responses to stimuli. By applying constantly maintained pressure, the wrap provides an unchanging, quieting stimulus that causes the receptors to adapt and modify their thresholds in a cumulative manner.

Desensitization and Counter Conditioning -  Desensitization is the process by which an anxiety producing stimulus, in this case thunder, is presented so subtly as to not produce a fearful response. Very gradually the intensity of the stimulus, or volume of the thunder, is increased, always keeping it below the fear producing threshold. Counter conditioning is the conditioning of an individual to respond to the feared stimulus with a reaction incompatible with the undesirable response. For example, the dog is encouraged to enjoy delicious food treats, as the thunder volume increases.

There are many "storm" cd's available today.  You can use these to slowly build a tolerance within your pet. 

Don't give up! This can be a long process but well worth the effort.  Take your time, be easy on your pet and the two of you will be enjoying a good summer storm in no time!








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