General Health & Tips

Dogs Die in Hot Cars

Never leave your dog alone in a car on a warm day.

Even on a cool day outside, if it is sunny, temperatures inside a car can rise significantly higher in a very short space of time. This can easily kill a dog.

Many people still believe that it’s ok to leave a dog in a car on a warm day if the windows are left open or they’re parked in the shade, but the truth is, it’s still a very dangerous situation for the dog.

A car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn’t feel that warm. When it’s 22 degrees, in a car it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within the hour.

Please read the advice leaflet, Dogs Die In Hot Cars ,which gives more advice and the dangers involved, and explains what you should do if you see a dog in distress in a hot car, and how to provide emergency first aid for them before seeking urgent veterinary help.

Plants That Are Poisonous to Dogs

We all love to see plants and flowers around our home and garden. A bunch of flowers in a vase can brighten a room. A patch of yellow daffodils in the garden, gently nodding their heads in the breeze on a bright, sunny spring day look wonderful.

But have you ever wondered just how safe these plants are for our dogs?

It might surprise you to know just how many plants and flowers, commonly seen in our homes and gardens, are poisonous to dogs.

A list of some of the most common of these poisonous plants and flowers, can be found at the following link – Poisonous Plants

First Aid For Dogs

* Would you know how to treat a dog with Heatstroke?

* What would you do if your dog was bitten by an adder when you were out on a walk in the countryside?

* What if he cut his paw and you needed to bandage it – could you do it? Would the bandage stay on?

Whilst expert veterinary advise MUST always be sought for serious injuries, or illnesses, sometimes we need to control the immediate aftermath of an injury, or health problem, before getting the dog to the vet as quickly as possible.

Attending a specific first aid course for pets is an excellent way to get to know just what to do in an emergency, so that you can provide the correct first aid treatment to an animal, before seeking the expert advice of a vet.

Many veterinary practices hold their own first aid courses for pet owners these days, so why not ask your vet if they do or know of somewhere else that does locally. Otherwise there are several other organisations that you can find on line who also run courses.

It is worth just spending a day getting to know some of these first aid skills.

It could save your own dogs life one day!

The 'Gulpies'

The ‘Gulpies’ are described as a paroxysmal or spasmodic uncontrollable and involuntary bout of gulps/gags/coughs/retches, etc., almost like a burst of repetitive violent hiccups, made by the dog until it can clear its pharynx or esophagus of some offending material. These can go on for several minutes.

The instinct for the dog to eat roughage or fiber (leaves, rugs, towels, etc.) may be a way of ‘clearing their throat’.

Prof. Meryl Littman has written an article about these, in which she states that this is often associated with GI (gastrointestinal) reflux, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and food allergies. Please click on the following link which will open in a new page and a downloadable copy of Prof. Littman’s article – The Gulpies by Prof. Littman – Oct 2019.

She recommends putting the dog on antacids, a strictly hypoallergenic diet and removing any chews, bones, bully sticks, jerkies, rawhides, ears, antlers, hooves, etc. that the dog has access to.

These gulps can sometimes be a precursor to other problems such as more severe IBD, PLE (protein-losing enteropathy) and/or pancreatitis. If these gulps are frequent or persistent you should consult your vet for further advice.