Environmental Hazards

In the May issue, we published an article, Outfoxing Foxtails

Snake venom consists of proteins, enzymes, substances with a cytotoxic (poisonous to living cells) effect, neurotoxins (which damage nerve cells), and anti-coagulants. Four distinct types of venom act on the body differently.

On October 25, 2013, three days before his dog's fifth birthday, Dan Owen of Helena, Montana, went pheasant hunting with his friend Doug Denler in Shonkin, Montana, 40 miles east of Great Falls. Owen's Golden Retriever, Dusty, and Denler's Brittany Spaniel, Radar, were experienced hunters.It's really desolate looking country

Thousands of dogs are bitten in the U.S. each year by venomous snakes. Ninety-nine percent of the snakes that bite them are pit vipers, whose Crotalidae family includes Copperheads, Cottonmouths (Water Moccasins), and more than a dozen species of rattlesnake. The remaining one percent are Coral snakes, native to the American Southeast and Mexican border.

Rattlesnakes fill most of us with fear and anxiety. For many, the only good snake is a dead snake.

Snakes and dogs are a bad combination in any circumstances, but it's helpful to know what venomous snakes look like, both where you live and where you might be traveling.

trailing awns that are covered with microscopic "scales" that permit movement in one direction only. This makes them dig ever deeper into flesh

Positive training methods focus on rewarding activities, and they're fun for dogs and handlers. But mention rattlesnakes and many dog owners worry that positive reinforcement isn't enough. In order to remain safe around rattlesnakes, some say, your dog may need aversion training with an electronic (shock) collar.

Late one summer, my sister and I were walking our dogs along a groomed trail in a state park. It was the same path we had taken the day before on our vacation camping trip, but it was such a relaxing, warm afternoon that we thought we'd enjoy it again. We had stopped to take in the scenery and watch her Labrador play in the water. My Papillon was eagerly exploring whatever was within the reach of his leash. Then, without warning, my Pap began leaping up in the air and shrieking. It was horrifying! I reached for him as he continued to jump, screeching and clearly terrified. I thought he was having a neurologic fit.

The insects we encountered on our walk were likely yellowjacket wasps, as they are the most likely to build ground nests. It would explain why we didn't find any stingers on our dogs. Yellowjackets, bumblebees, paper wasps, and hornets can all sting multiple times without hurting themselves. A honey-bee stinger, however, remains in the victim's skin, tearing out of the bee's body when it flies away, and causing its death a short time later.

Heartworms might more accurately be called heart-and-lung-worms; these life-threatening parasites are almost as frequently found in the lungs of infected dogs as their hearts. But perhaps the term also references the owners of infected dogs, because when we learn our beloved dog has been diagnosed with these horrid parasites, our hearts are very much affected, if only figuratively. Treatment for heartworm can be risky, expensive, and inconvenient – altogether, quite a source of fear and anxiety for dog owners. The more information you have before initiating treatment, though, the better you will be able to support your dog through the process.

Deworming agents are present in any number of prescription and over-the-counter treatments for dogs and puppies. If your dog shows signs of a gastrointestinal worm infestation, there are all sorts of products available that are made exclusively to rid dogs of various types of worms. But there are also deworming agents included – whether they are needed or not – in many flea and tick treatments and in most heartworm preventive drugs; in fact, it's sometimes hard to find a minimalist flea treatment or heartworm preventive drug that does not contain dewormers. The question is, is this really necessary? Are intestinal parasites that much of an ongoing threat to most dogs – and their owners?