Spring Pet Health Tips

1. Toxic Food

With Easter and Passover coming up, certain health hazards present themselves to our pets. Easter lilies and chocolate are toxic to dogs, cats and ferrets and ingestion can lead to serious health problems. If you use raisins in your Passover Seder, use caution, as grapes and raisins are also toxic to our pets.

2. Riding in the Car

Other hazards present themselves as Spring approaches and the warm weather comes. Many of us love to open our windows and enjoy the fresh air, but our pets are at risk or falling or jumping out of windows or through screens, especially mischievous cats! Many dogs love riding in the car with the window down, but we need to be careful that they can’t escape, jump, or get bugs or other objects in their eyes or ears. They should also be secured in the car with special harnesses to prevent injuries if there is an accident or sudden stop—they should be buckled in just like their human counterparts.

3. Spring Cleaning

Other favorite Spring activities that may be hazardous to our pets include Spring cleaning and home improvement project. Many cleaning chemicals, paints, nails, tools, and other things can be very dangerous to our pets if we don’t take proper precautions to ensure their safety. Pets should be kept away from all chemicals and other hazards during these projects, as they are not handy helpers. Many of us also take pride in our yard and gardens, but we must remember that many of the fertilizers and other garden products that are good for our lawns and plants are not good for our furry friends—not to mention that some of our favorite springtime plants like rhododendron, azaleas, and many others are very toxic or even fatal to our furry friends.

4. Dog Allergies

With these flowers and other changes in weather, both human and animal allergies can flare up, and pet allergies can be as minor as sniffling and as serious and anaphylactic shock, just like in humans, so don’t forget to visit your veterinarian if you suspect that you pet may have a springtime allergy. Now that spring time this here, have you noticed you dog itching and scratching more than usual?  He may be one of the many dogs suffering from allergies.  Like humans, dogs can be allergic to many different things reading from food to pollens to dust mites.  Around 10% of allergic dogs are allergic to food and the other 90% are allergic to something in the environments termed atopy.

Atopy dogs, commonly scratch at their sides, neck, face and feet.  Allergies can make them more susceptible to skin infections from bacteria, yeast, or even mites so they can have rashes are other visible changes to their skin and coats.  Some dogs have seasonal allergies while others tend to itch year round. Also similarly to humans, there is no miracle cure for allergies.  First any infection must be treated adequately.  For the atopy dog, many times combination therapies must be used to make them as comfortable as possible.

Some available therapies include omega three fatty acids supplements, anti-histamines, shampoos, and avoiding known allergens. Steroids are sometimes used to put out the fire during a flare up, but due to side effects they are not good for long-term therapy.  Cyclosporine is a medication that can be used long term to manage severe allergies.  Dog’s can also be skin tested and started on specific allergy shots, like humans, to desensitize them to the allergens.

If your pup seems itchy this season, take some time and talk to your veterinarian for more information

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