Recalls And Alerts
Current pet product recalls and alerts:
Cold And Hot Weather Tips
Hot Weather Tips
When the temperature rises, consider these tips to keep your pet safe.
- Don’t leave your pet in the car. Your car is like an oven, even with the windows cracked. On a 78 degree day, your car can heat up to over 90 degrees when parked in the shade, imagine how hot it can get when parked in the sun! Err on the side of caution and leave your pet at home.
- Provide plenty of shade. Pets can’t sweat like humans so they need a proper place to escape if they get too hot. Be sure that your pet has a shady tree to lay under when outside, or a cool place in the house to retreat.
- Provide plenty of water. Prevent dehydration by keeping your pet’s water dish filled with cool, clean water. Maybe even throw in a couple of ice cubes.
- Avoid hot asphalt. In some areas, asphalt can get hot enough to fry an egg – imagine how that must feel on your pooch’s paw pads! Try to only walk during the early morning or late evening and stick to grass and gravel trails rather than asphalt.
- Be safe in the water. If you are taking your pet for a swim to cool off, be sure to provide plenty of supervision and time to rest between dips into the water. For extra safety, be sure to put a life jacket specifically made for dogs on your pet.
- Rinse off after a swim. It’s important to rinse your dog after a swim in the lake, ocean, or pool. If not, your dog may lick the salt water or pool chemicals and become sick.
- Keep your dog groomed. Collies and shelties have double coats, which actually help them keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You must, however, keep your dog groomed and mat free.
- Know the warning signs. Symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit, along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees. Elderly, overweight and pets with heart or lung diseases are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively.
Cold Weather Tips
When the temperature (and the snow) begins to fall, your pets will need extra care. Here are some tips to help your pet stay safe this winter.
- Bring pets inside when the wind chill temperature reaches 30 degrees.
- Dogs and cats can suffer frostbite to their ears, nose and feet if left outside. They should be taken outside for short periods of time only.
- Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
- Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
- Unless your dog is in a fenced area, do not let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm, dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
- Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
- Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear. It is also a good idea to clip the fur between the toe pads to reduce the amount of snow that collects between the toes.
- Be particularly careful when escorting elderly, arthritic pets outside. They will become stiff and tender quickly and may find it difficult to move about in the snow or ice. Keep them tethered tightly to your side if the route to the yard is icy. A bad slip can cause a ruptured disc, broken leg or other major injury.
- If you live near a pond or lake, don’t allow your pets to run loose. They may head for thin ice and fall through if they are not familiar with icy ponds. It is very difficult to escape these watery graves and equally challenging for you to reach the site safely.
- If your pets must be kept outside, keep the dog in a dry, elevated house. Put clean, dry bedding inside and place a flap over the door. Keep the door turned away from the wind. Consider adding a doggie door to the garage, and place a soft cushion in the warmest corner. Check water bowls throughout the day. Frozen water can’t help a thirsty pet. Avoid using metal bowls outdoors in the winter. Give outdoor pets more food, as they need more calories in cold weather to produce body heat. Make sure that your pets’ pads and toes are free of harmful ice balls.
- Chemicals used to melt snow on sidewalks and driveways can irritate a pet’s paws. Petroleum jelly spread on the feet will help protect them from these chemicals.
- Keep anti-freeze, salt and household poisons away from your pet. Dogs are attracted to anti-freeze, coolant or windshield wiper fluid, which can be fatal.