Shedding: A necessary evil
Pet BULLETIN
‘Mews and Yips’ from the Central Aroostook Humane Society
The days are getting longer and along with this change comes shedding. It is a necessary evil. It prepares our pets for the summer heat and the winter cold. Many other things can trigger our pets to shed: poor diet, physical problems, parasites, and stress, to name a few.
There are many different products out there to help your dog/cat along the way with his shedding, but grooming is the key. The fur is going to fall out one way or another, so if you groom your dog/cat regularly, you determine where the hair will go. Personally, I use a stripping stone on my short-haired dogs. The cost is minimal and these square stones pull out the dead hair. You can find them in any pet product magazine.
What about removing pet hair from your furniture? Again, what I do, and probably not nearly enough, is to spray my furniture with static remover or rub with a dryer sheet and then use a damp sponge to remove the hair. Note: If your dog or cat is shedding excessively (more than in the past, or if bald spots start to appear) talk to your veterinarian. This may be coat loss related to a health condition that may need treatment.
Animals can die of hypothermia. They are also susceptible to frostbite, so be watchful. The ASPCA gives us the following tips for keeping our pets safe during cold weather.
1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm – dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him – and his fur – in tip-top shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.
It is also our responsibility to keep an eye on those who do not follow the rules of keeping their pets safe and warm. If you see an animal in distress, call your animal control agent or police department.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please consider adopting from the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday or give us a call at 764-3441. Please have your pets spayed or neutered.
FORT STUDENTS VISIT ANIMALS — Students from grades four and five at Fort Fairfield Elementary School visited the Central Aroostook Humane Society in Presque Isle in January. All are members of the FFES Civil Rights Team. Pictured, in front, from left: Lawren Cameron, Marissa Brouette, Kassidy Jalbert, Alyssa Morgan, Alyssa Poitras, Taniesha Brooker and Shyanne Grace. In back, from left: Jasmine Goodblood, Quinton Ouellette, Stephanie Parady, Tommy Hammond, Tamika Bright, Eric Stone, Denver Morneault, Kayla Carmichael, Mindy York, Jenessa Sawyer, Gianna Potter and Leigha Langley.
