Pet Safety Tips
Easy Tick Removal
Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing their heads. Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a try. Please forward to anyone with children… or hunters or dogs, or anyone who even steps outside in summer!!
A School Nurse has written the info below — good enough to share — And it really works!!
I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it’s some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.
Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has worked every time I’ve used it (and that was frequently), and it’s much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.
Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can’t see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor’s wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn’t reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say, “It worked!”
Storm Season
If you are evacuated, bring your pets with you if possible. Pets left behind can be lost, injured or killed. Do your homework ahead of time to find friends, family or a hotel willing to accept animals if an evacuation is ordered. Some hotels and motels may lift their “no pet” restrictions in an emergency, so check into this policy in advance. Click on the following link for Flagler Humane Society’s emergency shelter policy.
All pet owners should have an emergency supply kit for their animals to include:
- A five-day supply of food, drinking water, and bowls
- Current photos
- Plastic bags
- Identification tags and collars
- Medications, medical records, license and first aid supplies
- Blankets or towels for bedding and warmth
- Leashes, harnesses and a sturdy carrier large enough for animals to comfortably sleep
- Cat owners also need cat litter, a litter box and a carrier large enough to comfortably house cats for several days and allowing separate areas for elimination and feeding
For more general information you can visit The Humane Society of the United States online at www.hsus.org. For further information on disaster shelters for your pet, call the Flagler County Agricultural Center at 437-7464.
Don’t Leave Your Pet in the Car!
During the summer months in Florida, EVEN in the shade, EVEN with the windows cracked, the interior temperature of a car can approach 120 degrees within minutes, leaving your pet at risk for heatstroke. Our pets count on us to protect them, and you can do this by simply not leaving your pet inside a parked car even for a short time. Hot Weather Tips (click here)
ID Your Pet
Always keep current identification on your pet. ID tags are inexpensive and easy to obtain.
Microchipping is another option to consider, though it should not be considered a substitute for a traditional collar and tag because it can only be detected by a scanner used in a vet hospital or shelter. Microchipping is a permanent identification process aimed at ensuring the quick return of a lost pet. A sterile, glass-encapsulated microchip, about the size of a single grain of rice is painlessly implanted between the shoulder blades of a pet using a quick, non-surgical process (similar to that used for vaccination). Each microchip has been programmed with an unalterable ID code that is unique to each animal. This ID code can then be traced to the pet’s owner using a national database. Flagler Humane Society offers this service, for more details, please click here.
Keep several copies of your pet’s photo on hand. Call local animal shelters and vets and file a report. If your pet is missing, begin to search immediately. The sooner you begin, the greater the chance you will recover your pet.
Leashing
Safety requires control and leashes are a wonderful control tool because they set boundaries for dogs. A dog that runs loose has no reason to respect another. A dog that runs free can, in a split second, decide to dash into the street, chase another person, dog, car, cat, or just plain take off.
“But, my dog will stay right with me.” That can be a dangerous assumption!
Dogs who walk off leash are free to do anything you may – or may not – want them to do! Other loose dogs, strays, or wild animals may tangle with your dog. You have no control. On leash, you still may not have control over another animal, but on-leash control could help prevent the encounter in the first place. Dogs are very instinctive and reactive. If a running squirrel, cat, or rabbit crosses your path, the dog’s chase instinct (prey drive) clicks in. There is never any guarantee that voice control will stop the chase! A strange noise or movement can instantly lead your dog into a non-thinking, reactive dash, leaving him at risk for accidental injury, or mistreatment by someone who perceives him as being a nuisance or aggressive. Unless they are in an adequately confined area, such as a fenced yard, leashing is an essential means of keeping your pet safe.
Keep Your Pet Safe on Halloween
Keep your pets inside, preferably in a quiet place to ensure they won’t be frightened by the sight of costumes and the unfamiliar sound of trick-or-treaters. Keep candy – especially chocolate, which can be harmful – out of your pet’s reach. Instead, have a few of your pet’s favorite treats on hand. Keep pets away from candles and jack-o’-lanterns. With rare exception, pets don’t like the restriction of “clothes”, and certain accessories can even cause injury, so resist the urge to put your pet in costume. Halloween can be safe for both your 2 legged and 4 legged family members by following these simple precautions.
Holidays
The Holidays are a happy time of the year, but can present special challenges to pet owners. Being an instinctive creature of habit, your pet might not cope well with holiday season transformation in your household. The sights and sounds you enjoy might well disturb your pet. With attentive care, you can prevent or minimize the stress and remove potential hazards.
Sources of stress
Any change can result in stress for your small pet. Decorations. Trees and lights. Music. Foods. An increased coming and going of company, perhaps including their pets. The increased activity in your household during the holidays could keep it illuminated up to 18 hours a day, disrupting your pet’s schedule and sleep. Nocturnal animals may find it difficult to sleep with all the daytime activity. The coming and going of strangers and relatives can be very intimidating. Because you are busy shopping, entertaining, or traveling, time with your pet may be more limited. Routines might be disrupted. Your pet might feel left out or even experience separation anxiety.
Holiday stress relievers
Follow these tips to make a difference in your pet’s stress level.
- Maintain feeding and hygiene routines. Do not make big changes in diet.
- Provide your pet toys to pass the time and chew. Limit your pet’s exposure to strangers and activity. This may mean confining him, but this change may be less stressful than exposure to a roomful of loud party goers and interrupted sleep.
- If an accident does occur, be prepared. Make sure you have a first aid kit ready and veterinarian contact information where it is easy to find.
- Spend quality time with your pet each day. This will provide reassurance, and also give you time to closely watch your pet for signs of stress.
Potential holiday hazards
Pet accidents and illnesses increase dramatically during the holidays. This caution is not meant to spoil your fun, but to keep your holidays safe.
- Prevent exposure to electrical wires, which could cause dangerous burns or electrocution. Conceal them or use pet-proof covers.
- Prevent access to holiday plants. Never allow your pet unsupervised access to poinsettia, holly (leaves and berries), mistletoe, or other plants commonly used during the holidays.
- A decorated tree poses many hazards. Tinsel, garland, flocking, and artificial snow can be dangerous. The tree may also be coated with potentially harmful fire retardant, fertilizer, or insecticide. Larger decorating lights can become hot and cause burns. Low hanging lights and ornaments can be especially attracting.
- Many of the foods we set out during the holidays can be toxic to pets, including chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk, dark), sugary cookies, salty snacks, and other favorites left out for nibbling and, of course, alcoholic drinks.
- Tape, ribbons, and the inks or metals used in some gift wraps may cause problems if eaten.
Have a safe, happy holiday season with your pet!
