Bite Me Once Shame on You, Bite Me Twice Shame on Me

Each May, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) sponsors National Dog Bite Prevention Week.  This year, May 16-22, marks the date.  According to the Center for Disease control, over 4.5 million people a year fall victim to dog bites.  Approximately 800,000 of them are severe enough to require medical attention but the rest go unreported. 

Who is typically bitten?   Considering the numbers above, nearly 2% of the US population. You won’t be surprised to learn that the vast majority are children.  Other front runners are the elderly and service providers such as postal employees.

On a weekly basis, I hear stories of dogs biting adults, children and other dogs.  The biting typically occurs in the home or yard by a dog that the person/child/dog knows…i.e.  a family or neighborhood pet.  People are upset, angry and questioning what to do with the aggressor.   If the bite was imposed on a child and not severe, the dog is typically re-homed.  In more serious cases, like the stories we hear about on the news, the dog is euthanized.

The reality?  In most cases, the bite was 100% preventable. 

How can you protect your family…including your dog?  Let’s start with the first step, Reduce the Risk of Your Dog Biting.   I know that for many of you, I am preaching to the choir.  But for those who are unaware of how to prevent your dog from biting…this is worth the read. 

Be a responsible pet owner- as the saying goes:  love, license and LEASH your dog.  I know many people who don’t believe in the last part of that phrase.  They let their dog roam off leash as much as possible and enjoy giving him that freedom. 

Even if your dog is the most non aggressive dog on the planet, he could try to interact with a dog aggressive dog being walked on leash… an altercation ensues and someone gets bit.  OR, your unleashed dog, roaming around your front yard, becomes protective of his territory, and decides to chase and/or bite two and four legged passersby. 

These situations are completely avoidable simply by leashing your dog while walking and letting your dog have free range of their fenced and gated backyard.

Spay or neuter your dog- Having your dog altered will reduce their desire to roam and act aggressively.   Altered dogs are three times less likely to bite than non altered dogs.  Spaying/neutering also promotes a healthier lifestyle for your pet.

Socialize your dog- Introduce your puppy to many types of people, animals and situations so they are at ease when a new or strange situation occurs.  If you have an older dog that needs to beef up his social skills try a training class or work one on one with a training professional.

Train your dog- Enrolling your dog into a training class at an early age is the best choice, but older dogs can do well to take a refresher course.

Pet selection and timing- Dogs should never be obtained on impulse.  Research the type of dog that will blend well with your family and lifestyle.  Since so many bites happen to children, make sure it is the right time for you and your kids.  It is recommended to wait until children are over four years of age.

Most importantly, ALWAYS monitor your dog while with children.  Never let children and dogs have alone time.  As we all know, children love to play, tug at and chase dogs oftentimes.  They also don’t know better than to interrupt a dog while he is eating, snacking on a treat or sleeping.  These are all potential situations for a nip.

Keep your dog healthy- A healthy dog is a happy dog and the way a dog feels directly affects his actions.  Have your dog vaccinated against rabies and other infectious diseases and ensure comfort by using parasite control.

If your dog exhibits aggressive behavior towards people, children or animals contact your veterinarian ASAP to rule out a health related issue.  If your Sophie or Tucker checks out with a clean bill of health it is time to check him or her into a dog training class to address your concerns.

There is so much to say on this topic and to learn more please visit the following sites:

Dog Body Language:  http://www.pawsacrossamerica.com/interpret.html

Teaching Kid’s:  www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-dog-bite-prevention.html

A little bit of common sense will go a long way to keeping your family and pet safe!

The 411 on Pet Halloween Safety

Have you started to stockpile your Halloween stash? Searching the aisles for that particular candy that your kid’s desire? My husband and I always try to have the best candy (or so we hope) behind our door. And, as hard as we try, we never quite have enough….so by the end of the night, the kids are receiving Nutri-Grain bars, raisin packets and the like. Not so much fun for them I am sure! We do have a four legged kid named Abe and we always make sure that he is happy and safe during Halloween including making a batch of his oh so favorite treats…the recipe is below! To keep your pet as safe as Abe, please keep the following pet safety tips in mind:

• Keep Pets Indoors- Please, I repeat, please keep your pets indoors the night of Halloween. There will be many pranksters out, who just might find it funny to let your pet out of the gate, antagonize your pet or even worse.
• Chocolate, Candy and other Yummies- By all means, all candy, especially chocolate is a big NO NO for Fifi and Fido. Chocolate is toxic to a pet’s system and can have fatal results. Not to mention, the wrappers, foil, twist ties, etc. surrounding the candy can cause choking or may lodge in the pet’s intestines.
• Candles- We all know that Fido’s tail can whip around as fast as a category two and will take out anything in it’s path. Please keep all lit candles far out of your dogs range. And definitely remember to extinguish candles prior to leaving your home.
• Trick or Treaters- If your dog is like Abe, he likes nothing better than to run to the door and sniff each and every trick or treater who eagerly holds out their bag for candy. A warning for this behavior: dogs may get spooked by costumes and excited kids…causing them to bolt out of your open door or perhaps become scared/nervous. The best precaution is to not let Fido greet the trick or treaters without being on the other end of his leash.
• If your dog is nervous- It is better to leave him in a room with all of his favorite things while you are greeting trick or treaters or hosting a Halloween party. He will feel much better and you will not take the chance of your otherwise friendly FiFi becoming snappish.
• Costumes- If you choose to dress your pet this season, please make sure that their costume is not constricting in any way. If the costume includes a mask, please ensure that the eyeholes are wide enough not to impede Fido’s peripheral vision. Limited vision could cause your dog to become nervous and potentially act out of the norm. Give your pet extra water when dressed as he may become warm and try not to leave his costume on for extended periods of time.

Get Ready for Hurricane Season!

Hurricane Season…Are you ready? 

Hurricane Season is officially upon us and many are preparing their homes and their families for a potential storm.  What about your pet?  Do you have a plan for your four legged family members? 

Good news for Hillsborough County.   Two additional pet friendly hurricane shelters recently opened which brings our total to four.  We now have one pet friendly hurricane shelter in each quadrant of the county.  This is in response to The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act which was passed by the Federal Government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  The act requires local governments to make disaster accommodations and preparations for pets.    

Since May, Animal Services of Hillsborough County has been busy outfitting the two new shelters with pet supplies, staffing volunteers, etc.  They do recommend that if you have to evacuate to one of these shelters that you bring your own supplies including crate, food, meds, bedding, etc, however.  This will make your pet more comfortable in an already stressful situation.

Pet Friendly Hurricane Shelters in Hillsborough County include:

Sickles High School (west): 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa.

Burnett Middle School (east): 1010 N Kingsway Road, Seffner.

Bartels Middle School (north): 9020 Imperial Oak Blvd., Tampa.

Shields Middle School: (south): 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin.

The shelters do NOT take reservations and work on a first come first serve basis.  It is best to gather contact information now on pet friendly hotels, friends and family that are on your evacuation route.

A few helpful sites I found include  www.pets-allowed-hotels.com, type in the state and city you will be evacuating to and a list of pet friendly hotels will appear.  You also might want to check out www.dogfriendly.com and www.petvacations.com/Tampa-pet-friendly-hotels.

Here’s a bit of help in the event you need to flee the scene with Fido in tow:

• Know where you will go.  You can’t leave your pet behind, because even if they do survive the storm they could escape through a broken window, door, etc.  They could get lost or harmed by predators and unsanitary conditions.  Use this website to find pet friendly hotels:      www.pets-allowed-hotels.com
• Get your pet an i.d. tag or better yet micro-chipped.  Micro-chipping can be done at your veterinarian’s office or you can oftentimes find low cost micro-chip clinics around Tampa.  The Humane Society and the Animal Coalition of Tampa provide chipping for approximately $25.
• Have a pet carrier handy to transport your pet easily. For this situation, a simple plastic or rubber pet carrier will be ideal.
• Take up-to-date photos of your pet from all sides.  Take these with you along with pet meds, i.d. and ownership papers.
• Create Pet Disaster Kit: this should include: meds, medical records, collar, leash, food/water dishes, 14 day supply of food and H2O, manual can opener, blanket, toy, cleanser and disinfectant to handle wastes.  Make sure to bring your waste pick up bags.  Canned and freeze dried pet foods are good to always have on hand this season.
• Create Pet Medical Emergency Kit include tweezers; scissors; tape, gauze pads and a roll of gauze to clean and cover injuries; an antiseptic solution for cleansing wounds; alcohol pads to clean scissors, tweezers and hands; antibiotic ointment; buffered aspirin for pain and inflammation and Benedryl to reduce allergic reactions to insect bites; and a thermometer (the normal temperature in dogs and cats is between 101 to 102 degrees). 

Early preparation is key!  Be safe this season!

Jennifer and Abe Fadal

Wag, 304 E. Davis Blvd.

Davis Islands, Fl

www.wagoftampa.com

813-258-9181