Taking care in Summer
Summer is here at last….Fantastic!.
But we have to take care of our best buddies.
With thanks to Bella and Duke (raw food company) for the following article…
“Heatstroke in dogs | Key takeaways
· Contact your vet immediately if you think your dog has heatstroke
· Dogs can overheat in temperatures as low as 16°C
· Heatstroke in dogs can happen even when the day is cloudy
· If your dog is excessively panting or drooling, is disorientated, has started to vomit, has bright red or blue gums or collapses in the summer, they may have heatstrok
What you need to know
Heatstroke in dogs can even happen when it’s cloudy, so it’s essential to be mindful of how your dog reacts to the heat when you’re out and about. When is it too hot to walk your dog?
Overheating can happen quickly and heatstroke can kill dogs. To keep your best friend safe, watch out for the signs of heatstroke discussed in this post and seek veterinary advice for help immediately if you are concerned.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re too warm in a jumper, your dog is likely to be overheating. Certain breeds, such as brachycephalic dogs are more likely to overheat, as well as puppies, elderly dogs, pregnant dogs and those with underlying health issues.
Many will retreat into the shade to cool down, allowing air to circulate through their coats. However, some more excitable dogs struggle to adapt their behaviour to help them stay cool. If this is the case, it is important to reduce their activity as much as possible, as overheating can occur in temperatures as low as 16°C.”
Also………………………….
Playing in stagnant water
Our dogs might head for water to cool down.
Running streams are fine but lakes with algae blooms or stagnant water are a real hazard for them. Ponds, swamps and other forms of stagnant waters could harbour Pythium insidiosum, which causes pythiosis, a serious and potentially life-threatening infection, characterised by non-healing wounds, unexplained weight loss and sometimes, gastrointestinal masses. So best avoided!
More info here
Never leave your dog in a hot car from the RSPCA
Ideas for keeping our dogs cool
Time: Walk them when it’s cooler….…early mornings and late evenings
Place: By the sea, in the woods for shade, on grass rather than tarmac to protect their feet
Mental stimulation v. physical exercise: 15-20 minutes’ foraging for their meals, or other forms of nose work are equivalent to an hour’s outside walk, so find things for them to do indoors, like snuffle mats
Use a cool mat
Put ice-cubes into their water
Freeze a bottle of water and put it by their bed so they can lick it or snuggle up to it if they wish
Use Kongs, Likki mats etc. with their food, frozen
Use ice cube trays, filled with kibble/veggies + bone broth, frozen to use as between-meal cooling treats
Go Mediterranean indoors, with air conditioning, if you’re lucky, if not…fans, closed blinds, shutters or curtains to keep the heat of the sun out. Open them and the windows to clear the air in the cool of the evening when the sun has moved
Ticks
A tick, ready to hop on
Ticks are unpleasant creatures, liked by no-one, not even the deer who specialise in carrying them around and depositing them in our woodland walks and grassy tussocks when they’ve finished feeding and have grown fat. There they lurk until their life-cycle progresses and it’s time to feed again, jumping onto passing animals.
They’re a worry to us as owners because they can pass on diseases to our pets and to us, usually within 36 hours of biting to feed, with symptoms sometimes taking weeks to show themselves.
How to check your dog for ticks
Where to look Ticks like the warm places and those that are easy to get close to the skin, like around the eyes, the ears, between toes, in the groin and underarm areas. Check the muzzle if your dog likes to investigate the long grass…the muzzle could be the start of their journey onto your dog. More details here.
When to look Depending on where you’ve been walking, check them each time you get home. Run your hands over them to detect any small blackish bugs, or lumps indicating that one has already attached and is feeding.
How to remove Finding it before it’s attached is the ideal, when it can be simply brushed off.
Otherwise, use a tick-tool or tweezers.
Position the tool as close to the surface of the skin as you can, get a good hold and twist, while gently lifting the tick out. Dispose of it, or put it into a plastic bag in the freezer in case you might need to show it to your vet if symptoms of disease subsequently appear.
DON’T burn them off, put alcohol or Vaseline on them or squeeze them off. These attempts will likely result in the tick regurgitating blood back into the wound on your dog and with it, an increased chance of disease being transmitted.
How to prevent ticks Ideally, we don’t want any ticks to get attached, so prevention is key. There are chemical preventative medications which your vet will advise. Advocate, Frontline, Seresto collars etc. These work by poisoning the tick after it’s bitten as the chemicals are now in your dog’s blood and it will drop off.
If you don’t want to go the chemical route, there are other choices worth looking at. Billy No Mates herbal tincture or Billy No Mates herbal powder.
Neem Shield Pet Spray, which is also entirely natural.
Use a few drops of Lavender, Geranium or Rosemary essential oils onto collar or harness as a preventative.
No More Bites from Herbal Pet Supplies. Claire, from HPS, is herself a past sufferer of Lyme’s disease, which is what motivated her to explore the herbal treatment route, eventually leading to her setting up her HPS business. Read her story here.
Arrowhead grass seeds
July and August are when the grasses are seeding and our outdoor cats and dogs can get into real trouble if their coats catch hold of arrowhead grass seeds.
This info…with thanks to PetPlan.
Grass seed injuries in dogs
Expert approved
Brian Faulkner
Veterinary Surgeon
RCVS Registered
Grass seed may seem harmless, but they can cause serious problems for dogs in summer. Here’s everything you need to know about grass seed and dogs.
Quick Links
Summer with your dog is the best - long walks on the beach, games of fetch in the park, and hikes out in nature. But one thing that’s not so great is if your pup ends up with a painful grass seed injury that sends you straight to the emergency vet.
These tiny seeds might seem harmless, but they can cause serious trouble for your furry friend. As the weather heats up, here’s what to do if a seed gets stuck in your dog's paw, ear, eye or anywhere else.
What is grass seed and why is it a problem?
Grass seeds are small, dart-shaped seeds found in long grass during the warmer months. Their pointed shape makes them great at burrowing into soil – but unfortunately, they can also latch onto your dog’s fur and work their way into the skin. This can cause painful infections and, in severe cases, require veterinary intervention.
Is grass seed safe for dogs?
While the seeds themselves aren’t toxic, their sharp shape makes them a hazard. Grass seed is mainly used when planting or repairing lawns, so if you have an established garden, they shouldn’t be a risk.
How do grass seeds attached to dogs?
Grass seeds often get caught in a dog’s fur while running or rolling on walks, particularly in areas such as their paws, ears and eyes. Breeds with long fur or fluffy paws are more at risk, but any dog that enjoys running through tall grass can pick them up.
Left untreated, seeds can migrate further into the body, causing abscesses or internal damage.
Can grass seeds kill dogs?
While uncommon, severe infections or migration to vital organs can be life-threatening, so early detection is key.
If you have dog insurance with Petplan, you can access our Pet Expert Chat by logging into your My Petplan account to speak with a professional about your concerns.
Signs your dog has a grass seed injury
If you notice a grass seed stuck in your dog’s paw, ear, nose, eyes or skin, you may notice them:
Licking their paws a lot
Limping, with swelling between their toes
Shaking their head or pawing at one ear
Squinting with redness or swelling in one eye
Licking sore spots on their skin
If the seed is just sitting on the fur, you can remove it with your fingers or a brush. However, if it’s embedded in the skin, don’t try to pull it out yourself – this can cause it to break apart and travel further under the skin. Instead, visit your vet to have it safely removed.
How are grass seed injuries treated?
If you see any signs of lurking grass seeds on your dog, consult your vet for advice as soon as possible. They may be able to remove the grass seed using a pair of long tweezers. However, this can be painful for your dog, so they may need to be sedated with an anaesthetic first.
If your dog has a grass seed lodged in their ear canal, you won’t be able to spot the seed because it will be trapped deep inside. A vet can make a diagnosis by using an otoscope to look down the ear canal and remove the seed with forceps if necessary. Due to their pendulous ears, Cockapoos, Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels are the most commonly affected breeds.
After treatment, dogs are usually treated with painkillers and antibiotics to counter any infection.
How to prevent grass seed injuries in dogs
When it comes to grass seed and dogs, all breeds with hairy ears and feet are at particular risk, but you can take preventative steps to lower their chances of injury.
Firstly, stick to well-maintained paths and short grass during peak seed season. Some grasses are particularly worth avoiding, such as foxtails – grasses with razor-sharp seeds that resemble little torpedoes in the shape of a fox’s tail. Dry grass seeds of wild barley can also easily attach themselves to an animal’s fur, working their way down to pierce the skin or enter the ear canal.
Be sure to trim the fur around your dog’s paws and ears – particularly for long-haired breeds – and inspect your dog’s paws, ears and coat for seeds after walks.
Finally, if your dog is particularly prone to picking up grass seeds, consider investing in dog boots or a lightweight body suit that can keep them protected throughout the season.
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Dr Brian Faulkner, MRCVS
Petplan Vet Expert
Brian is a long standing vet and President of the UK Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons. He's worked in more than 250 veterinary practices as a clinician, consultant and confidence coach. Brian holds several academic positions, is a keynote speaker and the founder of Colourful CPD, and organisation providing training for veterinary practices.
Brian co-writes our articles on pet health, where we cover everything from common conditions to supporting your pet after an operation.
A day out at the Beach
Dogs love to run, to dig in the sand and paddle or swim in the water. Let’s keep them safe……………………….
More info here
