Pet Tips — Tick Time
Warmer weather means tick time. Tick bites are painless, but they can spread organisms that cause Lyme disease and other serious conditions. But did you know that it takes several hours for the tick to transmit these disease agents? You can greatly reduce the chances of infection by checking your pet every day. Run your hands thoroughly over your pet’s entire body, paying extra attention to favorite tick areas—the head, ears, neck, and under the tail. If you find an embedded tick, remove it carefully by grasping it as close to the pet’s skin as possible. Be sure to wear disposable gloves or use tweezers. Pull the tick straight back, slowly and firmly. Do not twist the tick, or squeeze or squash its body. Place the tick in a small jar of rubbing alcohol to kill it, and clean your pet’s skin at the bite site like you would any other small wound.
Our Customers' Pets
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Finding Lost Pets
If your pet becomes lost
1. Start your search now!
The sooner you start looking, the better your chances of finding your pet. While you are out searching, try to have someone else at home in case the pet comes home on his or her own or a Good Samaritan drops off the pet (if your pet’s ID tag has your address).
Begin searching in your neighborhood or where the pet was lost. Search both on foot and in your car, driving slowly. Take a slip lead or leash, treats, something with a scent (such as a favorite blanket or toy), and a flashlight if searching at night. Look under decks, porches, and sheds. Check under vehicles and behind bushes. These are all places where lost pets often hide. Call your pet’s name and other familiar words or phrases like “cookie,” “treat,” or “ride in the car.”
If your pet has been lost more than a day, good times to search are in the evening (6-9 pm) and early morning (5-8 am) when neighborhoods are quieter and there is less traffic.
Special note for lost cats: If your cat is lost, be sure to search every possible hiding place in your house and yard. Many cats go into hiding if they are scared or don’t feel well. Look under, behind, and even inside beds and other furniture. Check all the closets top to bottom, and thoroughly search the basement and garage. Inside cats that “escape” to the outdoors are most often close by, but scared and hiding, so they are unlikely to come to you or meow. Sometimes, the only way to get a nervous cat back is to use a box trap. Place some strong-smelling, feline-appealing food (eg, sardines, mackerel, tuna) inside the trap, and be sure to check it often.
2. Contact local animal-related businesses and municipal service organizations.
Call animal shelters, humane societies, rescue organizations, veterinary hospitals, emergency clinics, kennels, grooming parlors, pet stores, animal control, and local police. Let them know your pet is missing, provide a description, and follow up with a flyer.
3. Create and post a “Lost Pet” flyer.
Always have a few up-to-date color pictures of your pet on hand to make a “Lost Dog” or “Lost Cat” flyer. Many lost pet sites have free templates. Use large, bold letters that can be read from a moving vehicle. If possible, include pictures of both your pet’s face and full body. List your pet’s name and give a description, including breed, color and markings, hair length, size/weight, sex, age, etc. Be sure to list your phone number and when (date) and where the pet was last seen. If your pet is shy or fearful, tell people not to chase the pet. Ask people to call if they spot the pet anywhere to tell you the location. Mounting the flyer on brightly colored poster board can attract more attention. Go door to door, and hand out flyers in your neighborhood, including to the mail carrier and other delivery people. Follow-up with a flyer to the animal-related businesses listed above. Post flyers on street sign or utility poles, at bus stops, etc. Securely attach the flyer with shipping or duct tape, staples, etc. It’s a good idea to place the flyer in a clear page protector to protect it from weather. More good places to post flyers include public bulletin boards at grocery stores, coffee shops, libraries, parks, and community centers. If you receive calls with sightings, post flyers in that area.
4. Use the Internet and local newspapers.
There are many lost and found pet sites online. Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) has become very popular. Select your area, then “community,” and then check both “lost+found” and “pets.” Post a lost notice, check the found notices, and keep checking every day! Many Facebook pages are also dedicated to lost and found pets. Local newspapers will often run lost and found pet ads at no charge.
5. Don’t give up!
Keep checking local shelters in person every day if you can or at least every other day. If your pet has been gone for more than a few days, enlarge your search area and contact shelters, rescues, veterinary hospitals, animal control, etc, in neighboring communities. Keep ads current online and in the newspaper. Persistence is crucial.
REMEMBER
Prevention is always the better way to go. Prevent this heartbreaking and frightening experience for both you and your pet. Make sure your pet is wearing a properly fitting collar with an up-to-date ID tag. Also consider a microchip as additional protection and a means of permanent identification for the individual animal.
If you find a lost pet
The first consideration is safety for you, the pet, and others.
If you are driving, do not slam on the brakes or stop unless it is safe to do. When possible, pull over and note where you saw the animal. Take a picture with your cell phone, even if the pet is far away. Call animal control and tell them when and where you saw the animal. Give as detailed a description as you can.
If you are on foot (or get out of the car), take note of the animal’s state. Animals that are scared, and possibly injured or ill, may pose a threat of biting or attacking. Stay a safe distance away and call animal control. If possible, remain nearby to help animal control find the pet.
If the animal is friendly and approachable, check for tags and call any phone number(s) listed. If the pet does not have a collar or tags and you feel it is safe to take the animal with you, a local shelter or veterinary hospital can scan for a microchip. Most shelters and vet hospitals will also keep your contact info and a picture of the pet. Check for lost pet reports online and in the local newspapers, and post a “found pet” notice.
Finding Lost Pets PDF
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