Archive for January, 2009
Do you know dogs cannot lose heat by sweating? Because they have no sweat glands. All they can do is pant. Hence dogs are more prone for temperature-related injuries. The common temperature-related injuries in dog are-
1. Heat Stroke
2. Frost Bite
3. Hypothermia
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is one of the commonest causes of avoidable death in dogs. A dog’s temperature will raise up to 43.3° C (110°F), if it is being tied in a room without ventilation during hot day. If you left the dog in that condition, it literally get cooked up. A hot car is real deathtrap for dogs. Even parking in the shade and leaving a window partly open is not safe. Some of the dog owners will leave the dog inside the car and heater would be switched on during cold weather. This will also lead your dog to fall as a prey to heat stroke.
Frost Bite
Frostbite is mostly likely to occur to the extremities after exposure to below-freezing temperature, especially when it is windy. Drying the dog with a towel will help to relieve from frost bite.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia can occur in new borne puppies. Some times hypothermia will occur after anesthesia also. This condition is more prevalent among toy breeds and those with short coats. disowned puppies are prone to this condition. It is mandatory to keep the orphan puppies in a warm, drought-free environment especially for the first weeks of life.
Do you know separation anxiety is the most important reason for disowning a pet among the dog owners? Separation anxiety is also noticed among German Shepherd Dog. A dog that exhibits one of a variety of forms of behavior, such as barking, howling, destructive activity, house soiling, or obsessive behavior, only when it is left on its own, may be suffering from separation anxiety.
It is mandatory that the dog be thoroughly examined to make sure there is no other underlying cause, such as physical illness. If the problem of behavior also occurs when the owner is present, as well as away from the house, then another cause should be looked for.
Dogs with separation anxiety are usually over-attached to their owners and unable to cope with isolation. They may well be obedient and affectionate but will follow their owner all over the house, even in bathroom.
Typically, they become distressed when their owner gets ready to go out and show elation on his or her return. Fortunately this aberrant behavior will last long for few minutes of the departure of the owner but won’t last long through out the day. Even the dog health will become worsened due to this behavioral problem.
There are numerous factors that predisposes to separation anxiety. German shepherd puppies that spend every hour of the day and night with their owner and are then suddenly left alone will not be able to cope well with the unexpected long period of isolation.
It is important to leave the German Shepherd puppy on its own for short periods of 10 minutes or so to begin with, gradually working up to longer absences. Puppies that have been hand reared, raised in kennels, or sold through pet stores are particularly vulnerable to separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is also common in dogs adopted from rescue shelters.
Heatstroke occurs rapidly in dogs, often proving fatal in minutes. The initial signs of heatstroke are rapid and heavy breathing. The dog becomes distressed, salivates, gasps for breathing, and collapses.
Do you know an effective way to treat the dog with heatstroke is to cover the body of your pet with damp towels? You can maintain the temperature of the towel by poring water over the towels continuously.
The First Aid
Following first aid will help you to help your dog a lot-
1. Remove the dog from the source of heat.
2. Immediately pour water over your dog. Use tepid water initially, which should be followed by cool water. Immediately cover your dog with damp towels.
3. Allow it to drink ad-libitum of water.
4. If your dog didn’t recover within few minutes of these first aids, immediately take the dog to your vet at the earliest possible time.
