Dog Issues | kodtc

Dog Health

IIs your dog's weight about right?

Use the Hill's Dog Condition Chart to estimate if your Dog's weight is about right or perhaps a little or more than a little on the heavier side.

Overweight young dogs have problems with joint development, and as they age dogs have problems with more arthritic pain and immobility, more health problems like diabetes and heart disease and die younger.

Click on the button for the Hill's Dog Condition Chart........ the Hill's

Weather Stress Does Kill Dogs

Sometimes we can be a bit thoughtless about how hot it is and our dog's ability to cope with the heat and humidity, even if they are a 'working dog' breed.

This is a reprint of an entry on Facebook by the owner of a very loved young Kelpie, Eliza Ryan. It is a reminder for us all. (For the Facebook entry please google 'Kelpie Rosie's Weather Warning', also has some lovely pictures of the pup).

Rosie's Legacy 31.3.16 - 30.12.16

Rosie died in December 2016 from overheating whilst playing ball. She was a healthy 9 month old kelpie pup and died becuase she was exercising in the evening just after 5pm on a 34 degree day with high humidity (54%) - na lethal cimbination.

Rose was only playing for 10-15 minutes before she crashed to the ground whilst chasing a ball and went into seisures and within an hour of making it to the vet, she died. The tragedy was that it was all preventable.

There were no symptoms. However I did not alow her to stop and rest in between tyhrowing a ball as far as I could in an open space with no shade. I did not take water out with us. She has no chance.

I am sharing this to educate owners on heat stress as it does kill

A dog's resting body temperature is between 38-39 degrees. If it reaches 41 degrees it will be fatal.

I urge dog owners to not esercise their pets on warm days. Playing ball or exercising a dog on days above 30 degrees is dangerous.

Leet a dog play in a pool or int he sea on a hot dday. Never feel guilty for not exercising a working dog it is a warm day. We are their protectors and it's our responsibility to keep them safe. I have heard people say 'but my dog was born in a hot climate so they are climatized'. This is absolute nonsense. A dog's core temperature should be kept to 38-39 degrees. Make sure thay have a cool place to rest and escape the heat if youn live in a hot climate.

I hope by Sgaring Rosie's story I can help educate dog owners on how quickly heat stress can happen.

Help Rosie raise awareness on Heat Stress by sharing this important message.

The image is of a Kelpie who looks quite like Rosie, but is not Rosie.