Summer Safety Tips
Hello friends!
Since it’s summer we wanted to remind you of some important summertime safety tips to keep your pets safe! We like you all a lot, but we rather you not end up at the vet for one of these preventable issues.
Heat Stroke: When it’s hot, make sure you’re not overdoing it—especially with short nosed breeds like Frenchies, Pugs, English Bulldogs, and any dark-colored dog (darker colors absorb more heat). Take frequent water breaks and avoid exertion when it’s over 80 degrees. If you think your dog may be experiencing heat stroke (labored breathing, collapse, purple tongue) come in or go the nearest ER immediately. While we are an appointment-based clinic, many of us have trained extensively at emergency hospitals and we will drop everything if we must to see a critical emergency. That said, we prefer the “ounce of prevention” method…so be careful on hot days and NEVER leave your dog (or any pet) in a car without A/C.
Fleas, Tick and Heartworm Prevention: We’re entering prime season for insects that prey on pets and carry infectious diseases so be sure your dog and outdoor cat is protected by an FDA approved preventative. These days there are many safe, easy-to-give preventatives such as chewables. We stock Heartgard Plus, Nexgard and Revolution at the clinic and are always happy to provide prescriptions. Many of these products also help with intestinal parasites they might pick up here and there. Feel free to request one at our Online Pharmacy or by calling, if we've seen you in the last year and your pet is up to date on their Heartworm Test (dog owners) for Heartgard - we should be able to approve it!
High-Rise Falls: Use care with open windows. Cats used to closed windows don’t always recognize an open one and if they don’t put the brakes on quickly enough they can take a bad fall (yes, even through the screen). Start out by opening the window just a couple inches until they recognize the change, and even if they are acclimated it's always a good idea to supervise your pets whenever there's an open window. Also, if you have access to a roof-top deck or a balcony, make sure if you bringing your dog out with you they're always supervised. You never know when a squirrel will catch someone's eye.
High-Rise Falls: Use care with open windows. Cats used to closed windows don’t always recognize an open one and if they don’t put the brakes on quickly enough they can take a bad fall (yes, even through the screen). Start out by opening the window just a couple inches until they recognize the change, and even if they are acclimated it's always a good idea to supervise your pets whenever there's an open window. Also, if you have access to a roof-top deck or a balcony, make sure if you bringing your dog out with you they're always supervised. You never know when a squirrel will catch someone's eye.
Fireworks Anxiety: Summertime in Northwest Chicago can feel like Armageddon to noise-sensitive dogs. We have a number of good medications to safely treat severe noise phobias. These are not medications that “knock out” the dog. Give the clinic a call if you feel your dog might benefit from this and we can set up a consult to discuss in more detail. We specifically carry a medication for noise phobic dogs called SILEO.
As always, give us a call if you have any questions and have a wonderful start to your summer!
Sincerely,
The BLVD Team