[nagdu] With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget Pets in Storm Preparations

Michael Hingson info at michaelhingson.com
Thu Jan 2 20:12:21 UTC 2014


Hi,

I agree with you. 


Best,


Michael Hingson

The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
"Speaking with Vision"
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
info at michaelhingson.com
To order Michael Hingson's new book, Running With Roselle, and check on
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animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit http://www.ronburns.com/roselle

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla Rogers
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 11:54 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget Pets in
Storm Preparations

Dear Michael,

	My understanding is, now heartworm is everywhere because dogs had to
be moved as qui8ckly as possible after Hurricane Katrina.
	While it is quite cold here now, and my dogs have had no effects
from the products I am using now, I choose to keep my current retired guide
on heartworm and flea preventative all year long.

Darla & Happy Huck

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 1:28 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget Pets in
Storm Preparations

Hi,

Most vets do recommend a lot of things, but when I hear vets from several
guide dog schools urging the giving of heartworm medication year round I
tend to pay attention.  Your dog may well not be in danger, but all it takes
is one warm day and all that can change.

Providing Prophylactic safe guards thus minimizing the danger is a wise
thing. 


Best,


Michael Hingson

The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
"Speaking with Vision"
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
info at michaelhingson.com
To order Michael Hingson's new book, Running With Roselle, and check on
Michael Hingson's speaking availability for your next event please visit:
www.michaelhingson.com
 
To purchase your own portrait of Roselle painted by the world's foremost
animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit http://www.ronburns.com/roselle

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 11:06 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget Pets in
Storm Preparations

Most vets recommend a lot of things, primarily for the purpose of making
money. Too, it's recommended so that people don't forget to give the
preventive, but if you ask questions and read up, you will see that many
recommendations are unnecessary, loose guidelines, and big money-makers. For
instance, if you read what the companies who make the preventives actually
say, you'll see that once every 30 days is still too often (e.g. Heartguard
Plus). Most vets recommend annual or triennial vaccinations, but if you do
research, you'll learn far more about vaccinations than your vet tells you,
like the fact that dogs who have health problems, are sick, or are
immuno-compromised are not supposed to be vaccinated; or that vaccines last
far longer than three years. Many vets don't care and will still give the
vaccine, just to make that money.
As someone who is very much into natural preventives, natural medicine, and
natural living, I don't play on the team with the conventional vets and
doctors, especially since my dog and I have had bad experiences with the
four vets that we have visited. It is hard to find someone who educates
themselves beyond what is said by the textbooks, food and drug companies,
and misguided veterinarians.
I have turned against conventional vets since I went to four different vets
in different locations, who all said that my dog is just predisposed to anal
gland issues and chronic ear infections, so I just have to live with it and
treat the problems as they crop up again and again. I'm sure that anyone in
their right mind who thinks critically would not believe this for a second.
I sure don't. I started reading and researching like crazy. I dropped the
preventives, stopped feeding my dog cancer, and found a holistic vet. Anal
gland issues and ear infections are gone. I don't even have to clean my
dog's ears.
Okay, off my soapbox now.

On 1/2/14, Larry D. Keeler <lkeeler at comcast.net> wrote:
> Raven, most vets do reccommend that you give the heart worm and tic 
> preventatives all year. I do aggree with monitoring your dog though. I 
> just
>
> got mine trimmed today and she wore a jacket home. She is poodly and 
> doesn't
>
> really mind the cold that much but sence she has no guard hairs I 
> don't usually work her when we are out in this cold for long. When we 
> take a lot of busses and such we only have to stand out for a few minutes.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Raven Tolliver" <ravend729 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 1:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget 
> Pets in
>
> Storm Preparations
>
>
>> This article offers great advice about preventing dogs from getting 
>> into poisons and about winter safety.
>> I have to disagree with 2 things here though.
>> 1. when it comes to temperature, use your dog as a guide. If you 
>> notice your dog shivering, huddling up, or dancing around on the cold 
>> pavement, then yes, by all means get them a jacket or coat and try to 
>> work inside as much as possible. If your dog is like mine, and 
>> absolutely loves the cold weather and would sit, work, and play out 
>> in it seemingly for hours, then you have nothing to worry about as 
>> far as the temperature itself.
>> 2. there is no point to giving heartworm, and flea and tick 
>> preventives during cold weather. Heartworm comes from mosquitoes.
>> Like mosquitoes, fleas and ticks are bugs that thrive in warm, humid 
>> temperatures.
>> Here in West Michigan It's cold from mid-October to mid-may.
>> Mosquitoes ain't livin' and fleas and ticks cain't thrive when the 
>> temperature never rises above 50dg for more than a day. So if you 
>> live in areas where temperatures are frigid, these bugs are not a 
>> problem, no question.
>> Insect preventives are poisons that kill bugs. If they poison bugs, 
>> they poison our dogs. Why would you give your dog more of the poison 
>> than is necessary? Would you spray your house down with Raid if there 
>> wasn't a chance of ants coming around? I wouldn't think so. So for 
>> the sake of your dog's health, don't give them the poison if what it 
>> is supposed to kill is not even present.
>> Now this is a personal choice, but I do not give preventives during 
>> cold weather. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes need heat and humidity in 
>> order to survive. I only have one dog, and I also clean more 
>> frequently than most people. I vacuum my apartment every three or 
>> four days, and I vacuum all the furniture that my dog lays on once a
week.
>> I wash the coverings of my dog's bed, crate pad, and the couch 
>> cushions every two weeks.
>> Also, I rub down my dog with cold-pressed unrefined coconut oil about 
>> once every week or two. I rub the oil in up from his tail to his 
>> head, and up from his paws to his shoulders. I comb and brush this
through.
>> Adding lavender oil helps as well. This treatment moisturizes the 
>> skin and naturally repels fleas without poisoning your dog.
>>
>> Here are several links to eliminate the hype about fleas, ticks, and 
>> heart
>>
>> worm.
>> fleas and ticks:
>> http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/non-toxic-flea-and-tick-control/
>> heartworms
>> https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/heartworm-medication-part-2/
>> spot-on solutions/poisons
>> https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/poisoning-fleas-pets-and-kids/
>>
>>
>> On 1/2/14, Ginger Kutsch <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> With Snow on the Way, Fidelco Says Don't Forget Pets in Storm 
>>> Preparations
>>>
>>> Life - The Litchfield County Times
>>>
>>> http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2014/01/02/life/doc52c57792639a6
>>> 15514214
>>> 6.txt?viewmode=fullstory
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> BLOOMFIELD, Conn. - Winter weather isn't just hazardous to people, 
>>> it's dangerous for our pets, too! As Connecticut braces for a winter 
>>> wallop, Dr.
>>> RuthAnn Solomon DVM, Director of Animal Medicine at the Fidelco 
>>> Guide Dog Foundation wants residents to remember these key points to 
>>> keep their pets warm and safe. By planning ahead of the storm, pets 
>>> and people will be properly prepared!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> DURING THE STORM
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Keep your pets inside! All pets need shelter and insulation from the 
>>> cold.
>>> Cats and dogs may wear fur coats but they aren't equipped to be out 
>>> in freezing temperatures for long periods of time. Domesticated 
>>> animals are not adapted to the cold like wolves or bobcats. Bottom
>>> line- if it's too cold for you to stay outside, it's too cold for 
>>> your pet.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If you absolutely must keep an animal outside, be certain it has an 
>>> insulated shelter, access to plenty of fresh (not frozen) water and 
>>> increase their food to two times normal serving, e.g., if they get 
>>> one cup of kibble per meal, give them two cups for that meal. A 
>>> pet's energy requirements increase to maintain body temperature 
>>> (shivering for example) and those living in a very cold climate have 
>>> a greater caloric need just to stay warm than the average dog that 
>>> lives indoors.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If you need to go outside during the storm, limit exposure and make 
>>> sure your dog is on a leash and wearing an ID tag. During heavy 
>>> snowfall, they can lose their scent and become lost. More dogs get 
>>> lost during winter than any other time of year.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Keep candles, heat lamps and space heaters away from pets, children 
>>> and flammable materials. These are all burn and fire hazards.
>>> Inspect any pet heating blankets or pads for frays or exposed wires, 
>>> and never leave a pet unattended with such a device.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> For those that use Duraflame logs, those logs are actually sawdust 
>>> pulled together with wax. Those two ingredients make for an 
>>> attractive snack for dogs! Duraflame log ingestion will usually just 
>>> cause mild gastric upset; however the problem arises when the dog 
>>> eats a big piece which could cause an intestinal obstruction. So 
>>> please leave these logs of convenience well out of reach of your 
>>> pets.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> AFTER THE STORM
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Protect those paws! Ice and snow can easily collect between paw pads.
>>> Check
>>> your dog's feet periodically, especially if they are limping or 
>>> walking awkwardly.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Keep dogs off the ice and away from frozen bodies of water. Thin ice 
>>> poses a grave danger for pets and humans alike, and even a walk on 
>>> an icy sidewalk puts your pet at risk of injuries like torn 
>>> ligaments and footpads.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Salt, antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and chemical de-icers on roads 
>>> and sidewalks are dangerous for your pet. Dogs that lick their paws 
>>> or fur and ingest these substances can become ill. Wipe your pup's 
>>> paws, legs and stomach with a warm, wet washcloth after walks and 
>>> outdoor playtime.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Speaking of antifreeze, there are two commercial products available 
>>> in the US that have a "safer" chemical (propylene glycol) in them:
>>> Sierra and LowTox. However, just because they are safer does not 
>>> mean that they are non-toxic! For example, it would only take ONE 
>>> teaspoon of ethylene glycol antifreeze (more dangerous form) to be 
>>> deadly to a 7lb cat. It would take several ounces of the safer form 
>>> to be a problem.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> REMEMBER
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Take extra care with puppies and older dogs, especially those with 
>>> arthritis. Wet, cold weather can worsen arthritis symptoms. Do not 
>>> leave young, old or sick dogs outside unattended at any time.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Certain medical conditions like diabetes can affect your pet's 
>>> ability to regulate body temperature. Check with your veterinarian.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Further, winter does not necessarily mean the end of bug season.
>>> Likewise,
>>> winter does not mean you should stop giving heartworm, flea, and 
>>> tick preventatives to your cherished companions. As the old saying
>>> goes: It is better to be safe than sorry and continuous use of these 
>>> preventatives is the simplest act you can make to keep your pet 
>>> safe.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Lastly, have the following numbers programmed into your charged cell
>>> phone:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -Your veterinarian
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -Local animal emergency clinic
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -Poison Control (1-800-222-1222)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -ASPCA Poison Control (1-888-426-4435)
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Raven
>>
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>
>
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--
Raven

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