April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, humane society offers safety tips | News

(KFVS) - The Humane Society of Missouri says April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, and that it is a perfect time to brush up on pet safety tips.

The humane society is urging pet owners to take extra care of pets during spring weather conditions. Some tips include:

Disaster Preparedness - Remember your pet

• Make sure your pet is a part of your plans to seek shelter
• Assemble an emergency supply kit for your pet including: leashes and/or harnesses, food and drinking water, medications and copies of medical records, current photos
• Create a list of places and people that might take in pets during emergency situations

Other Tips to Keep Your Pet Healthy

• Maintain year-round treatment of fleas and ticks and check your pet often for infestation - pay special attention to the insides of ears and face. An early spring, mixed with a mild winter, is the perfect breeding ground for ticks and fleas
• Make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise
• Take your pet to the vet for yearly check-ups and keep vaccinations up-to-date
• Get your pet spayed or neutered
• Keep dogs on leashes outside
• Know how to perform CPR and provide basic first aid

Keep Pets Safe During Warm Weather

• Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car when the temperature is more than 70 degrees.  When it’s 72 degrees outside, a car’s temperature can rocket to 116 degrees, even with the windows cracked. When it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 120 degrees in minutes. Leaving a pet in a hot, unattended car is inhumane, illegal and can cause severe injury or even death within minutes.
• Act immediately if you see a distressed animal in an unattended car. Call the local police and the Humane Society of Missouri ANIMAL ABUSE HOTLINE  314-647-4400. A pet showing signs of distress such as heavy panting, unresponsive behavior, seizure or collapse needs IMMEDIATE attention.
• Be certain outdoor pets have access to fresh, clean water at all times. Secure plastic water bowls, never metal, to the ground so your pet can't accidentally tip them over. Dig a small round hole and place the water bowls inside.
• Ensure that your pet has access to shade at all times of the day. Your dog might be in the shade when you leave for work, but the sunlight moves throughout the day. Don't allow your pet to be stranded in the scorching sun.
• If you run or jog with your dog, take frequent water breaks for yourself and your dog. Remember that asphalt and concrete get hot quickly. You have rubber soles on your feet--your dog does not. On hot days, leave your dog at home.
• Do not bicycle or rollerblade with a pet.  Heat stroke and possible death can occur very quickly, particularly in hot weather.
• When the weather is dangerously hot, keep pets inside.
• If your pet shows signs of heat exhaustion (excessive panting, vomiting, lethargic behavior), immediately apply cold water to your pet's extremities. See your veterinarian promptly!
• During warmer weather, mosquitoes are prevalent. Make sure your pet is tested by a veterinarian for heartworm disease (a mosquito-transmitted, often fatal disease) and begin heartworm prevention medication.

For more information on how to care for pets, visit the Humane Society of Missouri website http://www.hsmo.org/vet-care/weathertips.htmlor e-mail info@hsmo.org.

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