28 - North Shore News - Sunday, Apri! 23, 2000

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PETS—

Don’t exhaust Fido with a walk in the woods

From page 18

The warm weather of
spring, also brings out the fair-
weather hiking keeners.

Taking Fido for a hike in
the woods is a great idea at
any time. But remember that
most dogs still have some of
their winter coat at this time
of the year. This means they
may be susceptible to heat
exhaustion because that winter
coat can cause them to over-
heat quickly in warm weather.
Exercising a dog who is not in

top shape or acclimatized to
the sudden warm weather can
be dangerous as well. Dogs
can only sweat through the
pads of their feet and cool
themselves off by panting, so
always carry extra water for
them or let them go for a dip
in a nearby waterway.

Rivers in the spring, can
also pose an unforeseen prob-
lem. As the sun warms us, it is
also warring those snow caps
high in the mountains. As a
result, a river can swell i quickly
with strong currents and very

cold water, capable of sweep-
ing the strongest canine swim-
mer away. Pick Fido’s swim-
ming spot carefully.
unburns in spring are

uite common as the UV rays

‘om the sun catches people
off guard. The same thing
applies to our dogs. Dogs can
get sunburned when exposed
to the sun for long periods of
time. Their noses, which are
not covered in fur, are espe-
cally susceptible. The techni-
cians at the North Shore

Veterinary Clinic suggest

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applying a human grade sun
block to a dog’s nose, car dps
and other areas not covered in
fur, to prevent painful burns.
There are spray-on sun blocks
available which can be applied
to a dog’s coat for those with
very short or sparse coats. As
with yourself, watch the dog
to spot any redness or itching
which could mean an allergic
reaction to the sun block. In
any case, be sure to rinse it off
at the end of the day.

. When sheltered

spring’s nippy breezes, things

really heat i up. Without venti-
lation the insides of our cars
can heat up very quickly in
direct sunlight. That means
Fido can easily get overheated -
if left in a car, even in the ;
spring. So if Fido is coming.”
for the ride, be sure to always -
park in the shade and leave a
window partly open for fresh:

Now get out there ani
enjoy the spring, and let me:
know if you spot any butter

Hlies fluttering around your.

head.