The Preventive Vet
Many of us will be celebrating (mourning) the official end of summer today. Don’t forget about the safety of your pets though as you fire up the grill, frolic at the lake, or jump in the car to head out of town. The typical BBQ, jaunt to the lake/ocean/river, and an unsecured drive in the family car are all potential ‘emergency minefields’ for your dogs (and, to a lesser extent, your cats too). Aside from the illness, pain, and potential death that such accidents, poisonings, and other emergencies can cause for your pets, they can also deplete you of your hard earned savings and relaxation. Though they are one of the last places that many of us would want to spend our Labor Day holiday, the veterinary ERs across the country fill up on this day year in and year out. Read on to learn what you need to know and what you should do to avoid being one of the people sitting in your local pet ER. Good luck, and have fun!
It really is this simple. Heat stoke is debilitating, distressing, and deadly. Don’t mess about - this is one very easily prevented pet (and child) emergency. Spread the word. The more people who know about this, the better. Also check out my previous post on Heat Stroke, click here.
(via tira-deactivated20120330)
This post is dedicated to my friend Reed Coleman, as well as to all the dogs and cats who are injured or die each year in vehicular accidents, and to the Husky dog I saw riding unrestrained, with an obvious look of anxiety on its face, in the bed of a small red pickup truck heading north on the I5 last week. The former is still very much with us, the middle ones sadly are not, and it is my sincere hope that the latter is – but I recognize that there is a distinct possibility that one day, that poor dog will jump, fall, or be thrown from the bed of that pickup. I hope it doesn’t happen, and I know its so easily preventable. So if anyone knows the owner of this pickup (red, believe it was a Toyota, with Washington plates) please direct them to this post, you may just save their dog’s life by doing so.
As you have likely deduced by now, todays post is about the importance, and ease, of restraining your pets during vehicular travel (this includes not just cars, but trucks, RVs, and motorcycles too!).
To start off, let’s establish that there are many reasons to appropriately restrain your pets during vehicular travel:
