With the start of the spring season, pet owners may want to consider helping their animals adjust to the warmer temperatures.
Due to the barometric pressure changes, animals have the ability to sense weather changes before humans, according to Carolyn Worthen, director of the Veterinary Technology program.
Worthen said pets can also suffer from allergies, very similar to the way humans do.
Animals can be allergic to many things, including grasses, mold and dust pollens present in the air.
“We see a lot of ear infections, because owners are excited to get their pets outside and forget to clean out their ears,” she said. “There are also allergens in the air.”
Worthen said just like humans, animals can be allergic to certain pollens, which causes red weepy eyes and scratching to occur.
“What we have found is that fleas are living through the winter in a lot of cases,” Worthen said.
Owners who do not apply flea medication year-round should start doing so now, to keep fleas at bay during the dry months, according to Worthen.
Pet owners may find ticks on their animals as the weather becomes moist during spring months.
Worthen said flea medication may include ingredients that combat ticks and prevent heartworm. If you spot a tick, remove it immediately by treating the area with rubbing alcohol, then pluck the parasite with tweezers, the ASPCA website said.
Although spring flowers are sprouting, it is important to know which ones can harm your pet, as well as how to fix the problems that may arise when your animal comes into contact with the plants that are harmful to them.
Spring flowers with bulbs like tulips, narcissus and hyacinths are dangerous to dogs, especially the skin at the bottom, according to Justine Lee, the associate director of Pet Poison Helpline.
Organic fertilizer poses more of a threat to dogs than others because it is commonly made of bone, blood and feather meal, according to Lee.
“It’s an appetizing combination of aromas to a dog, [who] will often eat the fertilizer along with the poisonous bulbs,” Lee said.
In addition, Worthen mentioned that iris, chrysanthemums and lilies are poisonous to cats, while Lee said many varieties of lily, including tiger, day, Easter, stargazer, red and wood, are highly toxic to cats.
“Depending on where you live, tiger lilies are the first to bloom and people will often cut these fresh flowers and bring them into their homes,” Lee said. “The pollen, leaves, stems and even water from the vase of these lilies can cause severe kidney failure in cats.”
Sunburn may also be a concern, as pets may be spending more time in the sunshine.
“Some animals are especially more susceptible, especially if they have shorter coats or no coats at all. If they’re lying on their backs and their bellies are exposed, they actually get a lot of sun damage on their exposed skin,” she said. “They make sunblock for dogs — that is available.”
Owners may also be interested in grooming their pets as they begin to shed their winter coats.
“A lot more brushing is needed, especially as we get that undercoat out,” she said. “Groomers do a really good job of getting them bathed, brushed out and making them look pretty, so I recommend to have them brushed out — it makes a difference.”
Although pets may need to adjust, spring is considered one of the more beneficial times of the year to purchase a pet.
“You can spend a lot of time outside potty training, and that’s the prime reason,” Worthen said. “Dogs are trained by what is under their feet most often.”
Worthen also said during the spring, younger animals start to become more common in shelters and cats go into heat during this time.
“Cats are considered long day breeders, so they typically go into heat when there is more sunshine,” Worthen said.
This may cause a problem to the Dayton community, because there are currently 87,000 feral cats in Montgomery county alone, according to Worthen.
To assist in reducing the amount of feral cats, Pets in Stiches is offering a low-cost neutering day, where Sinclair Community College Vet Tech students will act as “Cat Ambassadors” during the process.
“They will follow cats throughout the experience to be sure they are getting the best care possible,” Worthen said in an email. “While also learning about all of the processes and techniques that go into keeping pets healthy and safe in a veterinary hospital.”
She said the Service Learning opportunity will assist in the needs of the community, while also educating students about the healthiest and safest procedures in a veterinary hospital.
“At six different stations, the second-year students will be mentoring and teaching first-year students about client interaction, medical record-keeping, physical exams, anesthesia and anesthesia monitoring, surgical preparation and aseptic technique, surgical recovery and client education on post-operative instruction,” Wothen said. “Sinclair instructors and Pet in Stitches personnel have volunteered their time and talents for the day to oversee every process.”
The procedure will be held on April 4, and will cost $40 which includes the surgery, rabies vaccination, Capstar administration and a nail trim. Pets in Stitches are also offering take-home pain medication for the cats, for an additional $15. To qualify, individuals should “have received one of the following government services, and will be able to produce the appropriate documentation: if payments are direct deposit – the individual will have online access to an online account with ‘pay stubs’ or other such verification that may be printed; HUD Public Housing assistance program – dated within a year; Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – dated within a year; Medicaid (not Medicare) – dated within six months; Ohio’s Disability Financial Assistance Program; Ohio Healthy Start insurance; Ohio Works First; Social Security Disability – dated within past two months; Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – dated within past two months; SNAP –dated within past six months; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – dated within past six months; unemployment – dated within past two months; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) – dated within three months,” Worthen said. To register, call (937) 630-3320 by March 27. Seventy spots are available, and are only offered to unneutered male cats.
She said pet owners sometimes get confused into thinking that pets need to fatten-up during the winter, and slim down during the summer. Worthen said this is not true, and is unhealthy for animals.
“Generally, I like to keep my animals thin year-round, they don’t need to fatten-up for the winter, so generally you shouldn’t have to change anything with the diet,” she said. “Just like with people, it’s not good for pets to increase their weight and drop it every year. Putting on winter pounds is not something that we look for; they should stay steady, nice, lean weight year-round.”