For furry children, especially for dogs, summer is actually a very "dangerous" season.
Not only are stomach and intestines more likely to have problems than in other seasons, but also heat stroke can occur if you are not careful, and even life-threatening in serious cases...
The summer air in Wuhan is humid and the climate is hot, which is very difficult for dogs with few sweat glands. Because dogs often need to go out for walks, they must prevent heat stroke when they encounter high temperatures.
Veterinarian Jutiwen gave two key time points, six or seven o'clock in the morning and eight or nine o'clock when the sun goes down, both of which are prime times for dog activities. In addition to choosing the right time, also pay attention to the amount of exercise your dog is exerting itself. Do not exercise excessively to avoid the dog panting and drooling.
Panting is very obvious and can easily occur in short-nosed dogs. Dr. Chu advises pet owners who have dogs such as Fadou and Starlings at home not to walk their dogs when the temperature is high.
If you notice that your pet is not breathing, gasping for breath frequently, or has trouble breathing, it may be time to take it to the hospital for a check-up. Dr. Jutivan points out that for some pets, surgery can be effective in improving breathing problems. These surgeries are similar to plastic surgery in humans and can make your pet's breathing more stable by widening the nostrils, trimming the soft palate, and more. Of course, before deciding whether or not to have surgery, you need to understand the specific cause and condition of your pet. If your pet is only mildly suffering from breathing, its symptoms can also be alleviated with some daily care and health measures. For example, keep your pet's living environment clean and avoid exposing it to allergens; Take it for regular check-ups to detect and treat potential health problems. The most important thing is to always pay attention to the physical condition of your pet and take timely measures to ensure their health and well-being once an abnormality is detected.
In addition, the summer weather in Wuhan is hot, humid and rainy. Such humid weather can also cause problems such as otitis in lop-eared dogs.
Lop-eared dogs such as Golden Retrievers are prone to otitis, so once you notice that your dog's ears are red or have a sour smell, you must clean them up in time. If the ear hair is too long, remember to take the dog to the pet store to pluck the ear hair. In addition, dogs like to play in the water in summer, and the foot pads are easy to get wet, which may lead to interdigital dactylitis. Therefore, after playing in the water, be sure to dry the dog's foot pad in time to keep it dry. In addition, regular deworming is also very important for the health of your dog. Both internal and external deworming should be done, and the specific frequency can be consulted by a veterinarian.
Interphalangitis is also commonly known as foot dermatitis. At the beginning of the disease, the dog's feet may appear as large bumps as pimples, and as the bacterial infection intensifies, the inflamed area will become larger and larger, and in severe cases, ulceration, bleeding, suppuration, and may also manifest as interdigital cysts.
Therefore, if pet owners see their dogs licking their feet regularly, they need to intervene as soon as possible: to ensure that the dog's feet are dry, they can also trim their foot hair. But don't trim your foot hair too short to prevent skin problems.
Dr. Judeven cautions not to push the dog's hair, as this will expose the dog's skin to direct sunlight and easily cause hair follicle damage. Once the hair follicle is damaged, it may cause the dog to not grow hair, or the coat color may change color, or even dark spots appear on the body.
So, how do you trim your dog's hair properly? First, choose the right trimming tool to make sure the blades are sharp and suitable for your dog's coat type. Secondly, keep it gentle when trimming to avoid hurting your dog's skin. Finally, double-check after trimming is complete to make sure there are no missed or over-trimmed areas. At the same time, we should also pay attention to bathing and grooming our dogs regularly to keep their skin clean and healthy. Remember to interact with your dog during the grooming process to make them feel comfortable and relaxed.
Finally, it should be noted that after the pet owner drives the dog out, he must not lock the dog in the car, the temperature in the car will be very high, try to leave some gaps in the window to keep it ventilated, so that the temperature will not be high, and the dog will not suffer from heat stroke.
First aid guide for heat stroke in dogs
1. Mild heat stroke symptoms: drooling, wheezing, restlessness.
Solution: Untie the collar and chest strap to reduce the body surface temperature.
Move your pet to a cool place or blow an electric fan or air conditioner to cool him down, and then give him an appropriate amount of water to let him recover slowly.
2. Symptoms of moderate heat stroke: difficulty breathing, sluggishness.
Solution: Wet your pet with ice water or half-soak it in water.
Note that when soaking, do not use ice water completely, so as not to drop the dog's body temperature sharply, generally use the water from the faucet, and send it to the hospital immediately after emergency treatment.
3. Symptoms of severe heat stroke: coma shock
Solution: Wet the whole body with ice water or wrap it in a towel or wipe it with alcohol to cool down, or pour cold water into the rectum from the anus, and then send it to the doctor as soon as possible.
On the way to the hospital, be sure to keep the dog's head low and neck straight to keep breathing open and prevent vomiting.