Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Keep hot dogs cool this summer

With temperatures lingering in the 90s, there is no need to accredit a source to say, Its really hot outside.

But imagine having to wear a coat of fur during a humid Arkansas summer. Dogs and cats miraculously manage this task, but Gurdon Animal Control Officer Ty Oppelt is urging pet owners to take special care of their pets during the warm season.

Oppelt said pet owners should make sure their animals have plenty of water and food, and that they should be checking on them a lot  more so than they do in the winter.

He also urges pet owners to be sure their animals have a shelter from the sun and the rain. He said the Gurdon Animal Shelter still needs the donation of dog houses for people who cant afford them, to stay in compliance with animal cruelty laws and to keep dogs safe from heat. Oppelt said he is also seeking the donations of fencing to quarantine puppies. Separating puppies at the shelter, he said, is necessary to make sure they do not have parvovirus  a highly infectious disease that is spread from dog to dog and is especially severe in puppies.

Another thing to look out for in pets is heart worms, Oppelt said, because several dogs have died around town and the symptoms were most likely related to heart worms.

The wise thing to do is to get your dog its annual checkup and annual shots, including rabies, which is required by law.

While youre there, make sure the dog is checked for heart worms and get preventative medicine from your vet. Also, put it on a monthly regiment of pills.