Summer is almost here, and for many people, that means travelling to their favorite camping site for some leisurely fun in the sun. Fresh air, recreational activities, camp food, campfire, and some well-deserved relaxation are all part of camping. Unfortunately, there’s a host of problems caused by animals and insects, weather, fire, and nutrition that can affect your pet’s health.

Some camping experiences, like a soggy campground, are just part of camping. Emergencies and accidents should not be considered routine camping.

Tips

• Leave your pet at home. Fireworks displays can be disorienting and frightening to pets, even those used to going places with their people.
• Create a home sanctuary. Leave your pet in an area of your home where he or she is safe, comfortable and sheltered from any outside noise and lights.

It’s not uncommon for people to accidentally leave food sitting out on a coffee table or other low-lying location where pets are tempted to steal a bite. This happens more often during the holidays, when there are massive quantities of food and people are more easily distracted by the large congregation of family and friends. But, this mistake can be costly.

Arthritis is a chronic, degenerative disease of the joints in which the body places bone around unstable or ‘wobbly’ joints. In a dog, the most commonly affected joints are the hips, shoulders, knees, elbows and spine. By the time your pet has reached 8 to 9 years old, there is a 90% chance that there is some form of arthritis present. Once arthritis has begun, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done to reverse or stop the progression of the disease. As arthritis worsens, pets will tend to act ‘stiff’ when walking, especially after waking up in the morning or during cold, wet weather and in the winter. As your pet walks or begins to exercise, they tend to ‘work out’ the stiffness and act more normal, but will again act sore after exercise is complete. Thankfully, we have many different ways to attack the pain caused by arthritis and make your pet feel much better while living with this chronic condition.

Supplements