A SIMPLE TO DO LIST FOR SUMMER

Summer is fast approaching and here is a general check list of items to address for our pets health, safety and well-being: 

• Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted litters of puppies or kittens.
• When adopting a new puppy, enroll in training classes to head off behavioral issues.
• Learn how to prevent dog bites and how to train your pet not to bite.
• Educate children on how to interact with dogs and cats.
• Teach children not to tease dogs and cats or chase strays and ferals.
• If your pet does have behavioral problems realize they can be health-related. A complete annual medical exam conducted by your veterinarian will prevent such issues or resolve them quickly.
• Make sure collars are in good shape with up-to-date identification tags to enable your pet's return if lost.
• Consider a microchip as an extra measure of protection.
• Develop and implement a plan that includes your pet's needs in the event of a natural disaster.
• Put together a pet first aid kit for emergencies. 
• Designate a family member or friend to take care of your pet in the event of a personal medical emergency until you are able to resume responsibility for your pet.
• Have your pet included in your will. Set aside money for their care and designate a caretaker willing to care for your pet for the remainder of your pet's life.

Following this simple list will give you peace of mind and provide a good measure of security, safety and care for your pets, family and friends.

LOST PETS AND SUMMER

Summer is officially here and many families include their pets in their summer travels and activities and once school is out families relocate in an effort to settle into their new home and community before the start of the next school year.

Now is a good time to consider giving your furry family members the extra-added protection of a microchip. ID tags are fine and good but isn't identification under the skin better? Granted, nothing is 100% foolproof but using whatever options are available certainly makes sense in terms of optimizing coverage and giving you peace of mind. And remember travel to some foreign countries will require your pet be micro-chipped as a requirement for entry.

We're not just talking about dogs here but also about cats and any other pet such as birds, horses, etc. The microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and can be implanted by your veterinarian during a routine office visit.

If you are interested in reading about microchip implantation in general or have specific questions that need answers, the Wikipedia and American Veterinary Medical Association websites are excellent sources of information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(animal)

http://www.avma.org/issues/microchipping/microchipping_faq.asp