Dogs and Monsoon Season

[Ivana Olson]

With monsoon season starting up again I think we need to start reminding our 
neighbors about making sure their pets are secure and have adequate shelter 
from the storms. Most pets will be scared of the storms and a lot of the 
time that causes strange behaviors, like escaping.

Even if you have a dog who has never escaped before or has shown no interest 
in escaping in the past, it's possible that lightning will strike nearby or 
there will be an extra loud thunder causing them to panic and take off.

I suggest taking some time to make sure your fence is secure with no holes 
or weak spots. If you have an outdoor only dog, make sure he has enough 
cover to completely escape the rain (not to mention the heat!) As always, 
allowing your pets to be inside during storms and to escape the heat is 
always the best choice. Even if you have a problem dog who will tear up the 
house.. you can temporarily place him in a bathroom with the door shut or 
find a pet kennel to keep him in.

If you need help finding a resonably priced pet kennel, you can try ebay, 
azfamily.com classifieds section, the newspaper classifieds, the humane 
society gift shop, or yard sales. Walmart and Petsmart also carry all 
different types of kennels, dog houses and shading.

And please remember to test the temperature of the concrete before walking 
your dog on it. If you can't comfrotably stand barefoot on the ground why 
would you subject your dog to it? Dogs paw pads are quite sensitive and 
Arizona concrete can cause third degree burns to the pads of their feet. All 
petstores, Walmart and Target all offer doggie shoes called "Cool paws" to 
protect your dog's paw pads.

Keep in mind that a dog's body temperature is mostly effected by what he 
absorbs through his feet. If you suspect your dog is overheated the best 
thing to do is first get him to water and second get a washcloth soaked in 
rubbing alcohol and hold it to his pawpads.