Hot Stuff – Safety Tips
Written by Pam on July 30, 2015
I just wanted everyone to think about some safety tips when taking your HGT puppy out for a walk. Our last litter of Golden Grands have now been fully vaccinated and can go on long(er) walks with their favorite humans. We just want to make sure our HGT families think about these ‘hot-stuff’ things that can potentially happen during that walk…
1) Heat Stroke -Dogs do not sweat like humans do, so I believe they are more prone to the dangers of heat stroke. Always make sure you bring two water bottles on the walk, one for you and one for your thirsty companion. If you don’t want to carry the water bottles, you can have your pup start carrying his bottle – either in his mouth or you can just tie the bottle around his back. It will be a strange sensation at first, but they will eventually enjoy the cooling effect of the water and forget its there until they need a quick sip. A homegrown remedy that I use is to keep rubbing alcohol wipes with me on the walk, so if one of my dogs start to pant excessively, I rub down their paw pads with the rubbing alcohol in an attempt to lower its temperature.
2) Pavement & Sand – Most of us don’t think about how the asphalt or sand can be harmful to our puppies or dogs ~ right? Well we have sneakers on while on the walk and our feet are quite comfortable – but our pups pads on their paws are not protected from the hot asphalt or hot sand – so test the ground before heading off on a long walk or make sure they walk on the grassy path.
3) Insects – Please be careful of bee stings, tick bites, and those nasty fleas that jump and hitch a ride. Some of these insects can cause an allergic reaction to a puppy. If the puppy has been stung, make sure that you watch the infected area and if you notice any swelling, hives and/or difficulty breathing it would be wise to contact your vet.
4) Leaves/Trees – Please make sure that your puppy does not pick up any leaves or plants during the walk. Some plants are toxic and can rapidly cause damage to the puppies digestive system. Also make sure they do not get into other animals waste – as quickly as you can blink the pup can get into and/or eat these things that are very – very bad for them.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer – I would love to hear from all our HGT families!
