Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bees and wasps. If a bee or wasp stings your dog, remove the stinger with a
pair of tweezers and place a mudpack or a cloth dipped in cold water over the af-
fected area.
Porcupines. One good reason to keep your dog on a leash is to prevent it from
getting a nose full of porcupine quills. You may be able to remove the quills with
pliers, but a veterinarian is the best person to do this nasty job because most dogs
need to be sedated.
Heat stroke. Avoid hiking with your dog in really hot weather. Dogs with heat
stroke will pant excessively, lie down and refuse to get up, and become lethargic
and disoriented. If your dog shows any of these signs on the trail, have him lie
down in the shade. If you are near a stream, pour cool water over your dog's entire
body to help bring his body temperature back to normal.
Heartworm. Dogs get heartworms from mosquitoes which carry the disease in
the prime mosquito months of July and August. Giving your dog a monthly pill
prescribed by your veterinarian easily prevents this condition.
Plant pitfalls. One of the biggest plant hazards for dogs on the trail is foxtails.
Foxtails are pointed grass seed heads that bury themselves in your friend's fur,
between his toes, and even get in his ear canal. If left unattended, these nasty
seeds can work their way under the skin and cause abscesses and other problems.
If you have a long-haired dog, consider trimming the hair between his toes and
giving him a summer haircut to help prevent foxtails from attaching to his fur.
After every hike, always look over your dog for these seeds—especially between
his toes and his ears.
Other plant hazards include burrs, thorns, thistles, and poison oak. If you find
any burrs or thistles on your dog, remove them as soon as possible before they be-
come an unmanageable mat. Thorns can pierce a dog's foot and cause a great deal
of pain. If you see that your dog is lame, stop and check his feet for thorns. Dogs
are immune to poison oak but they can pick up the sticky, oily substance from the
plant and transfer it to you.
Protect those paws. Be sure to keep your dog's nails trimmed so he avoids get-
ting soft tissue or joint injuries. If your dog slows and refuses to go on, check to
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