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Renting With Pets
Is the rental market improving or getting worse for tenants with pets? Some say better, others disagree and scream worse…unfair!
According to a study released by the National Council on Pet Population some time ago, moving was identified as the major reason for giving up a pet dog and the third most common reason for giving up a pet cat. Moving in itself was not the reason for giving up the pet; it was the landlord’s refusal to accept pets in the new apartment or house.
Certain regions of the country are more difficult for renters who have pets. As frustrating as it appears, there are methods to sway owners with firm “no pets” policies.
- Make sure your pet is well behaved. Toilet training is a must and personality problems, such as separation anxiety, must be addressed.
- Adoption of a pet-friendly contract with set rules
- Spay or neuter requirements
- Obligatory License
- Current with vaccinations
- Leash policy
- Designated toilet area
- Scoop-up regulations
- Supplemental pet security deposit
- Pet committee to oversee the program
Puppy Proofing Your Home
Once you have decided to bring a puppy home, there are jobs that must be done to ensure his safety upon arrival. Just like children, puppies are curious, adventurous, and very often mischievous. Regardless of his personality, your puppy will inevitably find something that you hadn’t realized was accessible. Focusing on the safety of your puppy and the care of your possessions is an extremely important way to avoid any unnecessary trips to the veterinarian.
Look at the house from your puppy’s point of view – get on all fours if necessary. Are there any dangling electric cords, loose nails, plastic bags, or other tempting objects that will be within the puppy’s reach? If there are, you must put them away immediately. As your new puppy grows, he can explore higher places and be tempted to jump up on shelves. Consider how big your pup is supposed to be. If you bring home a Chihuahua, for example, then something on the kitchen counter may not be a hazard. If you bring home a golden retriever, however, you may have to reconsider where you keep your dirty knives or household cleaners.
Consider this list of potential problems that may need to be removed or placed somewhere the puppy can’t reach:
House Plants – While not all plants are toxic to your puppy (though many can be), it is not always the safety of the puppy you must be concerned with. Pups love to dig, even if it is a small pot with only enough room for a paw and a curious nose. The health of your plants could be at risk. Reduce the possibility of your puppy destroying your plants or becoming sick, and place the plants in an area off-limits to your pup or in a high enough place where he cannot reach.
Trash Cans – Dogs and puppies, in particular, are always attracted to garbage. The kitchen garbage contains a smorgasbord of exciting smells and tasty treats. Make life easier, and put your garbage under the sink in a cupboard or in a container with a puppy-proof lid.
Foreign Objects – Puppies, like most children, love to put things in their mouths. Unfortunately, that includes things like paper clips, socks, shoes, hair elastics, ornaments, etc. Inevitably, your puppy is bound to find something that you didn’t put away (or thought you put away) and made easy for your puppy to get. Provide your puppy with appropriate chew toys or interactive toys to help him avoid heading to your laundry basket or desk to find something entertaining.
Additional Tips:
- Never leave your puppy unsupervised, inside or outside.
- Patch up any openings your puppy may be able to slip through.
- Keep your toilet lid down - there are too many reasons to list why this is important.
- Unplug, remove or cover any electrical cords.
Lyme Disease Is the New (Bad) Summer Trend
Along with the heat, cases of Lyme Disease can also rise during the summer. A disease once attributed to deer is now shifting its blame to the decline of foxes, who lunch on mice, which in turn lunch on ticks before they’re able to lunch on us and our pets.
Studies reveal that young dogs appear to be more susceptible to the disease than older ones. The infection typically develops after the deer tick has been attached to the dog for 18 hours or more.
Here are a few signs that your dog may be infected:
- Stiff and inflamed joints (producing lameness)
- Sensitive to the touch
- Lack of appetite
- Depressed behavior
- Kidney damage (producing vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination)
If you see signs of Lyme Disease, bring your dog to a veterinarian for an examination. Treatment typically consists of an antibiotic that can be taken from home. Your veterinarian can also recommend different collars and sprays that work to repel ticks in the first place.
How to Keep Your Dog Cool During The Summer
People usually prepare themselves for the dangers of increased temperatures. But as the dog days of summer approach, our trusted companions also need special attention to ensure that they don’t get burned. Like for us, the summer months bring an increased danger of heat exhaustion and heat stroke for dogs.
People naturally regulate their body temperature by sweating. Dogs mainly cool themselves by panting or breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. The process of panting directs air over the mucous membranes (moist surface) of the tongue, throat and trachea (windpipe). The air that is flowing over these organs causes evaporation, thus cooling the animal. Another mechanism that helps remove heat includes dilation of blood vessels in the skin of the face, ears and feet. Dilated blood vessels located on the surface of the body cause the blood to lose heat to the outside air.
A dog’s normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Like people, dogs can become overheated. If it rises to 105 or 106 degrees, the dog is at risk for developing heat exhaustion. If the body temperature rises to 107 degrees, the dog has entered the danger zone of heat stroke. With heat stroke, damage to the body can be irreversible. Organs begin to shut down, and veterinary care is immediately needed.
Fortunately, if owners recognize heat exhaustion, they can prevent the dog from getting heat stroke. People can easily recognize when the heat gets to them because they become lightheaded and fail to sweat. For dogs, early signs of heat exhaustion may include failure to salivate and a dry mouth. Heat exhaustion may also include a dog lying down and looking tired, losing its appetite and becoming unresponsive to owners.
If heat exhaustion progresses into heat stroke, the dog becomes very warm to touch and may have seizures. Internal mechanisms roll into effect that may cause blood clotting and organ damage. If you are near a phone and think that heat stroke is a possibility, call your veterinarian immediately. If a veterinarian is not within reach, or while waiting for a veterinarian, get the dog out of the sun and cool him or her down with cool water baths (cool—not cold). Provide a fan, especially if you wet the dog down, and encourage him or her to drink water.
While these steps may help a dog, the best treatment is prevention. In order to prevent overheating, some owners may shave their dogs or trim their fur excessively. This isn’t always a good idea. The hair coat may appear to be a burden for a dog; however, it can also keep the animal comfortable by trapping cool air next to the skin, reducing the amount of heat transferred from the hot outside air to the body of the dog.
Dogs with long or thick coats that have problems with matted hair are often good candidates for clipping. Matted hair can cause skin irritation and is undesirable. Owners that do not have time to adequately remove mats and debris from their dog’s coat may prefer to have the coat clipped short. After a short clipping, and if the dog is outdoors, owners need to be careful of sunburn. Sunscreen may be applied to the dog’s skin; however, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian to find out which ones are safe.
Here are some other tips for keeping your dog cool during summer:
- Keep dogs indoors in air conditioning on very hot days.
- Do not leave dogs in a car during the summer. Even with the windows down, temperatures inside a car can quickly rise to above 120 degrees. Make sure outdoor dogs have plenty of shade.
- Keep fresh water available at all times.
- On very hot days, exercise dogs early in the morning or late in the evening. If this is not possible, exercise in an air conditioned environment.
- Provide your dog with a sprinkler or wading pool on very warm days.
- If you take the dog to a lake, make sure it has plenty of time to drink and get wet. Most dogs can drink lake water without adverse effects.
- If your dog has a light coat or exposed skin, take precautions against sunburn.
- Dogs can acclimate to warm temperatures and have no trouble staying outdoors in the heat. However, dogs that are used to cool climates or air conditioning should not be left outside on hot days.
- Acclimating your dog gradually is the key.
If you have questions about caring for your dog during the summer months, please give us a call.
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