Pets & Hiking

Looking to escape your hometown haunts for a wilderness hike? Don't forget your pooch! Dogs love to explore our country's vast natural resources as much their two-legged counterparts—not to mention, hiking is great exercise for all. But remember, a hiking trail isn't your average walk around the block. The ASPCA offers some helpful tips for keeping you and your pet safe and sound on your outdoor adventures.  

• Extending leashes are great for wide open spaces, but if your romp is taking you through wooded areas, it's best to leave the flexi-leads at home. Otherwise, you'll probably spend more time untangling your dog's leash from trees and brush than you will enjoying your walk! 
• If your pup is the trustworthy sort and you want to give him the opportunity to enjoy some untethered time on your hike, first make sure that dogs are allowed to be off-leash in the area you're exploring. Second, be sure that he responds reliably to your recall command—even the most obedient dog might bolt after some fascinating new critter. 
• Hard to believe, but not everyone is as enamored with dogs as we are! Some people get very nervous around unleashed dogs. As a courtesy, have a leash on standby to clip to your dog when encountering other hikers. 
• Whether you're using a leash or not, don't forget IDs, please! Always make sure that your current contact information, including your cell phone number, is attached to your dog's collar or body harness. If for any reason your pet gets lost, a collar and tags and a microchip will increase the likelihood that he or she will be returned to you. 
• You never know what you may encounter on a hike—so before setting out into the wilderness, check your pet's veterinary records and make sure his vaccinations are up-to-date. 
• Training tip: Teach your dog to come to you for treats whenever you pass by other hikers, especially if they have dogs, too. Your dog will learn to not interfere with passersby, and at the same time, you're ensuring he associates new people and dogs with good things, like tasty treats from you. 
• If a poop falls in the woods and no one else sees it, do you get a free pass? NO! There's no such thing as a victimless poop. Please have respect for your surroundings, native wildlife and fellow hikers by scooping up after your dog and toting the baggie back to civilization if there are no trash cans around. 
• Both of you need to stay hydrated, so bring enough water for two. Don't allow your pup to drink from puddles, ponds, lakes or streams—in other words, "nature's dog bowls"—as they may contain nasty parasites or toxins that could cause her harm.

When your hike is finished, give your pooch a thorough once-over for ticks and other creepy-crawlies. Pay special attention to her belly, ears, and any skin folds and crevices. If you do spot a tick, treat the area with rubbing alcohol and remove the parasite immediately by slowly pulling it off with tweezers. Be careful when removing a tick, as any contact with its blood can potentially transmit infection to your dog or even to you. Wash the bite area and keep an eye on it for the next few days—if irritation persists, contact your vet.

Pets & Truck Beds

Did you know that letting your pet ride in the bed of your truck can be extremely dangerous, even if you’re traveling at low speeds? Dogs are known to jump and run after things or animals that appeal to them, and jumping from a moving vehicle can cause serious injury. We ask that you NEVER let your pet ride in the back of a truck, but always inside where they are safely secured.

Pets & Pool Safety

Does your pet love to swim? It’s important to remember that some pets are interested in water, even excited by it, but still may not know how to keep themselves afloat. It’s important to never let your pet go swimming unsupervised!

Pets & Camping Safety

Are you taking your dog with you on a family camping trip this summer? Don’t forget to be prepared for pet care! It’s important that your pet is up-to-date on parasite prevention and has plenty of food and fresh, filtered or sanitized water to drink at the campground. Also, be prepared for safety by ensuring that your campground of choice allows dogs to visit, and that your dog has a place to sleep, preferably inside the tent where they won’t be bitten by insects or pestered by wild animals! Be safe, and the trip will be that much more fun!

Hiking & Pets

Hiking is a great summertime activity for you and your dog, but don’t forget to take every precaution for your pet’s safety before you go! Besides for flea and tick preventative, a comfortable collar or harness, and bringing plenty of drinking water for your pet, it’s also important to research your hiking destination. Make sure the trails you are hiking on are dog-friendly. Also, check to see what kind of wildlife you can expect to see on the trail. The best way to have a good time with you dog is to be sure they’re safe. 

Over-the-Counter Medications & Pets

Human medicines are designed for human bodies, not for animals. Even when our pets are ill or uncomfortable, offering them any kind of human medicine is dangerous and could even be fatal. It’s important to seek veterinary care right away when your pet is sick, so they can be administered medicine that was designed for THEIR body instead.

Heartworm

Your pet’s exposure to heartworms and other parasites is a year round concern. Checking for parasites is especially important in households with children present, because parasites are easily transmittable from pets to children. With unpredictable weather and pets that often travel into different climates, we recommend a year round preventative for adequate protection. Remember, heartworm prevention is much more successful and economical than treatment for the disease!

Whitehall Bourough Community Day

Whitehall Bourough Community Day will be held on Saturday August 25th from 9am - 5pm. This day will kick off with a 5k Race/One Mile Fun Walk starting at 9:15am at Snyder Park. For questions, details or race applications call 412-334-5646.

Pets & Heat

Working up a good sweat in the hot summer months may be good for you, but it can lead to heat stroke in your pet. Brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds, such as Pugs, Lhasa Apsos, Boston Terriers and Bulldogs are at a highly increased risk of heat stroke because their facial structure can make panting, the body’s way of cooling off, ineffective. This increased panting can actually interfere with their breathing, which may develop into respiratory distress. Protect your pet and keep them cool as the weather gets warmer this summer.

National Pet Fire Safety Day - July 15: Prevent your pet from starting fires

Extinguish open flames: Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.

Remove stove knobs: Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house – a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.

Invest in flameless candles: These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.

Beware of water bowls on wooden decks: Do not leave a glass water bowl for your pet outside on a wooden deck. The sun's rays when filtered through the glass and water can actually heat up and ignite the wooden deck beneath it. Choose stainless steel or ceramic bowls instead.

Pet proof the home: Take a walk around your home and look for areas where pets might start fires inadvertently, such as loose wires and other potential hazards.


Keep pets near entrances when away from home: When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

Secure young pets: Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home, such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.

Practice escape routes with pets: Keep collars and leashes at the ready in case you have to evacuate quickly with your pet or firefighters need to rescue your pet.

Consider using monitored smoke detection services: As an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms, smoke detectors connected to a monitoring center help save pets who can't escape when left home alone.

Affix a pet alert window cling: Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to keep the number of pets listed on them updated.

http://www.fdnntv.com/National-Pet-Fire-Safety-July-15

Fleas & Ticks

Summer is almost here, and so will be the fleas and ticks! The team at Always Compassionate Veterinary Care would like to remind you how important it is to keep your pets protected from these pesky critters during the warm months of the year. Don’t slow your pet down this summer; pick up your flea and tick preventative from us right away.

 

World Pet Memorial Day

Today is World Pet Memorial Day. Having a pet adds joy to a home and the experience of raising one is invaluable. World Pet Memorial Day is a time where everyone who lost a pet pays their respects to their departed friends and remembers the memories that was once shared with them. What can you do today to memorialize your beloved pets?

Pet Appreciation Week

Did you know that this week is Pet Appreciation Week? This week has been set aside in appreciation of the pets in our lives. This is the week to pamper your pet for all that they bring into your life.  We encourage pet owners to take a little extra time with your pet this week to show them that you appreciate their companionship in life.

Pets In Cars

During the hot, summer months, please consider the safety of your pet when you take them for a ride in the car. Remember that even if you’re planning on running into a store for just a minute, it’s too dangerous to leave your pet in the car. Just a few minutes in a car during the summer months can raise the temperature to unbearable levels. Exposure to such extreme heat can result in heatstroke, which can cause brain damage or even death. Leave your pets at home in the air conditioning this summer.

Social PETworking Month

June is Social PETworking Month! This is a month designated to help pair families with homeless pets. The campaign allows Facebook, MySpace and Twitter addicts to put their hours online to good use by advertising adoptable pets to their networks to help get them seen and into loving homes. So if you know of any pets in need of good homes, take to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and get the word out this June!

Farmer's Market Summer Hours

If you enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables but don't have the time, energy or space for a garden of your own, why not visit a local community farmer's market? Fresh fruit and veggies are great for both you and your pet. Especially if your veterinarian has recommended your pet lose some weight. Carrots, green beans and asparagus are great to give your dog as a treat instead of the usually doggie cookie. Here is a list of some local farmer's markets: 

-Caste Village Shopping Center on Monday 3pm-7pm
-Bethel Park Community Center on Tuesday 3pm-7pm
-Carrick Shopping Center on Wednesday 3:30pm-7:30pm
-Pleasant Hills Presbyterian Church on Thursday 3pm-7pm
-Mount Lebanon Uptown Business District on Saturday 9am-noon

Pets & Swimming

Is your dog a swimmer? Remember to protect their ears from infection. Dogs can develop chronic “swimmer’s ear” from water that gets lodged in the ear canal after a dip in the water. Because of the shape of a dog’s descending ear canal, it is difficult for water to drip out. The moisture left over in the ear canal is the perfect environment for ear infections. After your dog is finished playing in the water, take a towel and gently cover your dog’s ear and gently shake their head. This will keep any excess water from settling in your dog’s ear canal. When bathing, water can get trapped in a pet’s ear canals and cause the same kind of infection. If your pet is still experiencing irritation, call us and we'll be happy to help in any way we can.

Pets & Heartworm

Warm weather means the return of mosquitoes and the heartworm disease that they carry. Because a single bite from a mosquito could transmit the deadly heartworm parasite to your pet, it’s important that your pet stay on a heartworm preventative at all times. We can’t prevent the mosquitoes from biting, but we can prevent their harmful effects. We would love to discuss heartworm prevention for your pet!

Pets & Cookouts

The weather is getting warmer and many people are firing up their grills for burgers, hotdogs, steaks and ribs. Dogs love the smell of meat, and some dogs will do anything to get some for themselves. Knowing this, it's important to use extra caution around the grill during cooking. Remember, your dog won't use caution about which part of the meat he eats if he grabs a piece, and swallowed bones could mean injury, or even death. It's just not worth it! Keep Fido inside during the grilling festivities.