As we enter summer in Australia, it’s important to remember that while humans can usually keep cool indoors, pets cannot always escape the heat with their fur coats and their naturally higher body temperature. Here are some tips to avoid heatstroke and help make summer be more enjoyable for your pet!

1. Always have fresh, cool water available for your dog to drink in the shade, preferably in a bucket made of tin rather then plastic as it stays cooler for longer.
2. Make sure your dog has access to shaded area so it can escape the sun and avoid sun burn.
3. Look into sunscreens designed for canines to apply to areas with less fur such as the nose and tips of ears. Dogs are susceptible to sun burn just like humans but only sunscreens designed especially for dogs should be used as their skin is very different to ours and some ingredients in regular sunscreens may cause sensitivity and irritation to dogs skin.
4. When walking your dog in summer, it’s best to take them when the sun is down as they get overheated easily. Areas with grass rather then pavement is also more suitable as their paws may get burnt if pavement is hot.
5. Depending on the breed and coat of your dog, it may be beneficial to look into getting your dog shaved. This is not ideal for all breeds though as sometimes the coat’s natural insulation will be more efficient in regulating a dogs temperature.
6. Invest in a cooling coat or mat. Silver Eagle Outfitters have great products.

An article found in The Advertiser on Friday, the 26th of August, has shown some interesting research on the early separation of dogs.

“Puppies turn mean if separated early

Separating puppies from their litter too early can turn them into aggressive dogs, Italian scientists say.
They are significantly more likely to display problematic behavior as adults. Researchers studied 140 dogs, aged between 18 months and seven years. Half had been taken from the litter and adopted between the ages of 30 and 40 days, and half had been taken at 60 days. Owners filled in questionnaires on their pets, including such problematic behavior as destructiveness, excessive barking, possessiveness, attention seeking, aggressiveness, play biting, fearfulness on walks and reaction to noises.

The scientists found those behaviors were all more common in dogs who had been separated from their litter at between 30 and 40 days old. Behavior was also worse in dogs who had been removed early and placed in pet shops.” 

What is your opinion? do you think there is any truth to this article?

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Sitdropstay is now offering a dog walking service in Adelaide. Please contact us for more information.

There is currently a lot of controversy regarding the best diet for dogs. We encourage you to take some time to form your own opinion – open your mind, read all the information available and trust your gut feeling.  Here are some links to just some of the many interesting articles available on this important subject:

www.rawmeatybones.com
http://www.barfaustralia.com

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html#Raw

http://www.rawfoodvets.com/articles

http://www.vetsallnatural.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=70

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://aspenbloompetcare.com/2009/08/removing-the-fears-associated-with-raw-feeding.htm

http://www.thewholedog.org/artkibble.html

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