Naxos Animal Welfare Society

How to take care of your pet during summer

Common sense tells most people that leaving their pet inside a parked vehicle on a hot, summer day could be dangerous after an extended period of time. But most people don't realize that the temperature can skyrocket after just a few minutes. Parking in the shade or leaving the windows cracked does little to alleviate this pressure cooker.
On a warm, sunny day windows collect light, trapping heat inside the vehicle, and pushing the temperature inside to dangerous levels. On hot and humid days, the temperature in a car parked in direct sunlight can rise more than 30 degrees per minute, and quickly become lethal.
Pets, more so than humans, are susceptible to overheating and are much less efficient at cooling themselves than people are.
Dogs, for example, are designed to conserve heat. Their sweat glands, which exist on their nose and the pads of their feet, are inadequate for cooling during hot days. Panting and drinking water helps cool them, but if they only have overheated air to breathe, dogs can suffer brain and organ damage after just 15 minutes. Short-nosed breeds, like pugs and bulldogs, young pets, seniors or pets with weight, respiratory, cardiovascular or other health problems are especially susceptible to heat-related stress.

Taking Action
In case of an emergency, it's important to be able to identify the symptoms of heat stress caused by exposure to extreme temperatures. Check the animal for signs of heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, restlessness, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, and unconsciousness.
If the animal shows symptoms of heatstroke, take steps to gradually lower her body temperature immediately. Follow these tips, and it could save her life:
Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area.
Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or immerse her in cool (not cold) water.
Let her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
Take her directly to a veterinarian.

Moving – How to move your pet safely:

Plan ahead. Advance planning will make your move less stressful on you and your pet.
Invest in a high-quality, sturdy pet carrier. If you have a dog or cat whom you want to keep safely confined on moving day, get a carrier ahead of time and gradually accustom your pet to spending time in it.
Purchase a new ID tag for your pet. As soon as you know your new address, get a pet ID tag that includes your new address and telephone numbers.
Keep your pet secure. On moving day, place your pet (whether in the carrier or not) in a safe, quiet place, such as the bathroom, so that he or she cannot escape.
Make your car trip safe. If you're travelling by car and your dog enjoys car travel, you may want to accustom him to a restraining harness. Because most cats aren't comfortable travelling in cars, it's best (for their safety as well as yours) to transport them in a well-ventilated and securely placed carrier.
Talk to your veterinarian. If your pet doesn't enjoy car rides, consult your veterinarian about behaviour modification or medication that might lessen the stress of travel. Depending on your destination, your pet may also need additional vaccinations, medications, and health certificates.
Find hotels in advance. Listings of animal-friendly hotels will help you find overnight lodging during your move.
Plan ahead for air travel. Check with your veterinarian and the airline if your pet will be flying.
Prepare your new home. Take with you all the familiar and necessary things your pet will need from day one in your new home: food, water, medications, bed, litter box, food and water bowls, and health records. Also have on hand a recent photo of your pet, for use if your pet becomes lost.

LEISHMANIASIS (KALA-AZAR DISEASE)

(The information in this brochure was compiled from various medical sources and in particular from “Parasitic Diseases of Animals and Humans”, by Prof S. Haralabidis, University Studio Press, Thessaloniki 2003. It was printed with a grant from GAWF – Greek Animal Welfare Fund, UK)
The percentage of dogs infected each year in Greece with Leishmaniasis ranges from 0.2 to 48.7%, depending on the area.

1 What is canine Leishmaniasis?
Leishmaniasis (also known as Kala-azar and Dum Dum fever) is a dangerous disease in which parasites live in the liver, spleen and marrow and reproduce rapidly. Ninety percent of cases also show cutaneous skin involvement. Complications set in when the immune system begins to break down. Without treatment, the parasitic infection results in death within two years of the dog becoming infected.

2 How is it spread?
The disease is carried by the sand-fly Phlebotomus spp, a tiny insect that lives primarily in the Mediterranean area. This sand-fly (female) bites dogs because she needs a blood meal in order to deposit fertilized eggs; if she bites an infected animal, she ingests the parasite, a protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum with the blood; 8 to 10 days after the infecting meal she can pass it on to other dogs she bites.
There is also evidence that Leishmaniasis can be transmitted without the sand-fly. Pregnant dogs may pass it on to their offspring through the placenta. The fact that the disease is showing up in countries where sand flies don’t thrive is evidence that something other than this insect is spreading Leishmaniasis. There is a great deal of research going on at the moment; there are different opinions as to treatment protocol and how it is spread and the verdict is still out on many issues.

3 How can you tell if a dog has the disease?
At first, there are no symptoms; only a blood test can detect it. That’s why vets recommend that your dog’s blood be tested once or twice a year. Diagnosis is made by immuno-serological techniques in specialized laboratories.
The progress of the disease is slow with the time between infection and appearance of symptoms varying between a few weeks to a few years.

4 Are all dogs vulnerable to the disease?
YES! If an infected sand fly bites a dog, it will get Leishmaniasis; it doesn’t matter what breed it is, how old it is or how healthy it is, it will get Leishmaniasis. The parasite can also infect other animals but it seems to prefer dogs; cats, in fact, are rarely infected. There is no vaccine for the disease.

5 What are the symptoms?
* overgrown claws, long and rounded *enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver * kidney and liver problems * some areas have total hair loss * hair loss around eyes makes the dog look as if he is wearing glasses * scabs appear on body *anemia * loss of appetite or boulimia * fever *nose excretes white discharge, nosebleeds * muscles atrophy, especially temporal *loss of weight, even if animal eats well * dandruff on head and back * dull fur with patchy hair growth * gastroenteritis, multi-arthritis and enteritis may also occur

6 Is there any treatment?
Yes.
Consult your vet for the best treatment for your pet.
Treatment can reduce the crisis, prolong the life of the dog and the dog may go into remission. Since the disease can reoccur in the same way that malaria re-occurs, it may be possible for the parasite to live elsewhere in the body, perhaps in other bodily fluids – saliva, sores or seminal. Hopefully, current research will soon come up with definite answers.

7 Can humans get Leishmaniasis?
Yes, but man is an exceptional host and is bitten in Greece by a different sand-fly carrying the Leishmania donovani parasite. It is believed that humans cannot get the disease from an infected sand-fly carrying the Leishmania infantum parasite that bites dogs. The mean annual rate for the past seven years of infected humans to infected dogs in Greece is 25 humans for every 100,000 dogs. Humans most vulnerable to the disease are those with an immature or weakened immune system.

8 What is the treatment for humans?
The drug Miltefosine is now available in Greece for the treatment of this disease. It is expensive but in some cases it can kill the parasite and cure the dog. To find out if it is a suitable treatment for you, consult your physician.

9 What can you do to prevent your dog from getting the disease?
* Use Scalibor collars with deltamethrin May to Nov. Other collars do not give any protection.
* Use insect repellent (Autan, Antiphlebotome, Citronella) on dog’s skin after sunset, especially on the head and around area where dog lives, from May to Nov.
* Use anti-repellent soap to bath dog from May to Nov.
* If your dog sleeps outside, provide protected and clean sleeping quarters off the ground.
* Don’t take or let your dog outside after dusk.
* Have your dog’s blood tested every 6 months.
* Keep informed about the disease to give your animals the best protection you can.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND A POISONED ANIMAL

BECAUSE OF THE RECENT SPATE OF POISONING OF DOGS AND CATS IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO ISSUE THIS INFORMATION AS A MATTER OF URGENCY.

POISONS COMMONLY USED:
Insecticides, rat poison and ground glass.
These are usually mixed with strong tasting foods. They cause incredible pain to the animal and they die in agony. Insecticides and rat poison have antidotes, ground glass does not.

HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS THAT AN ANIMAL HAS BEEN POISONED.

Insecticides – liquid or powder
Salivating at the mouth, excessive tears, diarrhoea, twitching muscles, trembling, asthmatic breathing, convulsion and coma.
TREATMENT: Take the animal to a vet as soon as possible.
To give the animal the best chance of survival administer first aid as follows:
1. Induce vomiting: give salt or baking soda dissolved in warm water into the mouth.
WARNING – do not do this if the animal shows signs of nervousness such as trembling, staggering or collapse because an emetic can cause inhalation pneumonia. Continue to the next step.
2. Give an injection of atropine – 1 vial for a cat or small dog, 2 to 3 vials for larger dogs – injected into the vein (absorbed most quickly), into the muscle (absorbed less quickly) or under the skin (slowest absorption. Atropine can be obtained from your vet.

Rat poison
Sometimes there will be no symptoms for 2 or 3 days. Then red/purple/dark blue patches will appear on the body or gums, a sign of internal bleeding, and the gums will be very pale in colour. rat poison damages the clotting mechanism and the animal can haemorrhage from the nose, mouth, penis, vagina or rectum as well as internally.
TREATMENT: Konakion (vitamin K) injection to help clot the blood, 5-20mg, depending on the size and weight of the animal.

Ground Glass
This is the deadliest of all methods and there is no antidote. It is essential, however, to get the animal to a vet as soon as possible to try and save its life.
IMPORTANT:
An animal that has been poisoned with insecticides or ground glass is very sensitive to light and noise so protect it from both; this is not the case with rat poison. However, you may not be aware of the poison used so always keep the animal covered and as quiet as possible when transporting it to the vet.

HOW TO AVOID ANIMALS BEING POISONED
*Neuter your animals so that new victims are not born.
*Do not put puppies on the street; they will not survive.
*Neuter your own pets to prevent unwanted puppies and kittens being born; abandoned animals come from homes. Who abandons them? Certainly not the mother!
*Protect your own animal. Animals have been poisoned inside their own yards or while on a walk.
*Do not abandon your pet; it is against the law; it will not survive on the street; it will probably be poisoned.

BE PREPARED
Carry a first aid kit with you: bottled water, package of salt, atropine and syringes and a copy of this information. Talk to your vet about how to administer first aid and what amounts to give. It can save an animal’s life.