Miss Blackie Needs. . . 

A Bed!

Miss Blackie is a sweetheart of a black Lab that we just haven't been able to find a home for.  She's 12 going on 13 and has the "honor" of being our oldest dog.  As with many elders, Miss B suffers from arthritis.  Miss B lives at our "Dog Town" kennel facility and we would LOVE to make her life more comfortable by giving her a soft, dry raised Kuranda bed to sleep on and relax in.  She's a big girl so she needs the X-Large size.  Just click on the "Kuranda Bed"at the right if you want to help make the rest of Miss B's life more comfortable.

Please help Partners for Animal Welfare Society, Inc. (P.A.W.S) win money from The Animal Rescue Site's Shelter Challenge.

It won't cost  you anything but a few moments of your time daily. We are up against stiff competition not just nationally but in our state as well. You can vote multiple times a day. If you decide to help P.A.W.S. please ask family, friends, and co-workers to help as well. If you have Facebook or Myspace pages you could add details there also to help us. Your vote would be very much appreciated not only by us but for the current and future P.A.W.S. rescues needing your help.

Visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Poision Alert 

Recently the home improvement stores have stocked their shelves with a plant called the "Sago Palm". This is a decorative houseplant that you may be tempted to purchase.

If your pets ingest ANY part of this plant it will cause liver failure. Even with aggressive veterinary treatment 70% of these pets will die. We implore you to keep your household free of this plant.

We hope this information will help keep your pets safe.

Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs

Nate Baxter DVM

The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid.

Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it.

Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling. However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops.

If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate.