Dear Readers:
This is issue #6 of our Spring Newsletter series - Not a regular newsletter! This special edition will include per first aid tips, and pet emergency management information..

Spring is a wonderful season. It gets us all out of the house. Time for hikes, more doggy park hours, longer horseback rides, kayaking trips, terrace lunches and dinners and so forth.

Flies are more prevalent in the warmer months, and any injury to the skin, even something as small as an abrasion, can be a perfect place for flies to lay eggs. In a short time, these eggs hatch and become maggots. Keeping your pet clean and treating any skin injuries is crucial in avoiding maggot infestations.

Another outdoor threat is antifreeze. As summer approaches, many people change their antifreeze/water mixture. Antifreeze tastes sweet to pets and is highly toxic.

And finally, summer heat speeds up decay and decomposition, especially in the trash. Keep your dog away from garbage areas. Pets that have access to garbage or compost can ingest molds that cause significant nervous system abnormalities including severe tremors or seizures.

It may be tempting to give your pet all those picnic or barbeque leftovers, but try to resist his soulful begging. Instead of including him in your festivities, you may cause gastrointestinal upset, which can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Pets are not used to the high fat foods that are commonly associated with picnics and parties. Mayonnaise and other dairy based items can be particularly bad; dogs do not have the necessary enzymes to digest dairy products and spoilage can cause food poisoning.

Even if you feed your pet non-dairy items like fried chicken or hamburgers, their pancreas may not be prepared for those foods. The pancreas can become inflamed, leading to pancreatitis and abdominal pain, anorexia and vomiting.

Not only do table scraps pose a threat but so does the charcoal and lighter fluid used to barbeque. Ingesting ash or charcoal can result in significant stomach irritation.

At picnics and parties we use a variety of disposable items, such as styrofoam and plastic utensils. Unfortunately, pets may ingest some of these items, leading to gastrointestinal obstruction. Another concern is playing with small balls such as SuperBalls or racquetballs. Many dogs love to play fetch with these but if they are too small, the ball can become lodged in the throat and obstruct the airway. Make sure the toys you use are too big to be swallowed or stuck in the throat.

Water is often a major part of outdoor family activities. Usually water activities are fun, relaxing and entertaining, but tragedy can occur without proper caution. Pets can drown in lakes and pools just like people. Even if your pet seems to want to keep playing fetch in the water, at some point you will need to take a break. Older dogs weaken more quickly, even if they are excellent swimmers, and when he is exhausted swimming and keeping his head above water more becomes more difficult.

Be on the lookout for stagnant pools of water. At certain times of the year, algae forms along the edges of stagnant or infrequently used bodies of water. Some forms of these algae, particularly blue-green algae, are very dangerous. Ingesting some of the algae can cause serious, rapid illness and can kill pets. Don't allow your pet near stagnant water or algae, and make sure he doesn't drink from these water sources.