Blue's Cues



July 2010
July 4th Safety Tips
Hello All!! What do we think of when someone says 4^th of July? Of course wonderful fireworks, parades, barbecues, watermelon, picnics, baseball games, ceremonies, day off work, United States of America's Birthday, and I bet you can name others. It is a wonderful and festive day, to us. Here is Blue to tell you what it is to dogs. Hi Folks, I am going to tell you what the 4^th of July is for dogs. Here we are having a great summer day. Our people are busy making all kinds of foods that smell out of this world. We watch, saliva dripping from our mouths, hoping some of that food will end up on the floor, in our food dish or maybe just a little bite as a treat. Then it happens, popping sounds, lots of popping sounds. It goes on and on. The perfect day is turning in to a nightmare. Our ears pin back with head lowered, we start rapid panting, our bodies begin to shake uncontrollably, our eyes get large with fear, we crouch near the ground with tail tucked between the rear legs and some dogs even start to whine. Just when we think things are bad it gets worse. The whole sky and earth start to explode with fire and booms and the earth shakes and the smell, horrible smell of something burning. We are going crazy with fear!! Where can we hide? Where can we hide? Run, run, run as far away from the sound as we can. I am going to hide under the bed, More dogs run away on the 4^th of July than any other time of the year. The sound of the fireworks with the gigantic burst of explosives drives dogs crazy. Many times this triggers their flight instinct. If your dog does not experience this, count your blessings and your dog’s. Here are some things we can do to help our dogs on the 4^th of July. 1. Don't take your dog to a fireworks display. The fireworks sound loud to the human ear. Imagine how loud it sounds to your dogs, who can hear sounds up to 60,000 cycles per second -- that's three times greater than the human ear can even register. 2. Keep a collar and ID tags on your dog at all times. Make sure the tag contains legible and up-to-date information. To lessen the chance that a dog slips his collar, be sure you can put no more than two fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck. 3. Keep your dog indoors in a cool, quiet room. The windows and curtains should be closed. Often the sound of soft music or the low rumble of a television will help to calm your pet. Remember to leave a light on for your pet too. These things will help the animal feel safe and secure. 4. Don't leave your dog outside in the yard on a leash or a chain. Many animals get tangled up in their attempts to flee and end up injuring themselves. Some of these dogs will escape their yard. Enjoy the 4^th and keep your dogs safe.


June 2009
Tug of War
Hi Everyone!!! It's me, Blue, here to tell you about my favorite game. Tug of war!!!!!!! Why do I like tug? Number one, it's fun. Number two, it releases energy and is great exercise. Number three, it's fun, fun, fun and more fun. My mom uses it as a training reward. I work real hard so she will tug with me. Did I hear a person say, " But tugging makes dogs aggressive"? No way....but there are rules to the game. Pay attention Dogs, here are the rules us dogs must follow to play tug with our person: 1. The tug toy belongs to your person. Of course, they keep it and put it away for safe keeping. 2. We never ask to play tug. Your person will get the tug when it is time to play. 3. We never touch the tug toy until, your person says, "OK, Get it". 4. Our teeth must n-e-v-e-r touch our person's skin. Did you understand what I just said? "Dogs, your teeth must never touch a human's skin when playing tug". If you do touch the skin, your person will put the toy away. 5. Let go of the tug toy when your person says, "Give". That means stop pulling right now. If you keep pulling, your person will put the toy away. 6. Always let your person win the tug game. Follow the rules for some real fun with your person. Happy Tugging,


May 2009
Spring toxins to avoid for your pet!

Hi Everyone!!! Here is another article about how to protect us dogs from the things we eat in the yard. This month it is on fertilizers. Bone meal and blood meal sounds good enough for us dogs to eat, but that is not what Erica and Justine say. Spring toxins to avoid for your pet! By Erica Cargill, CVT and Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC As we gardeners work on our rose garden, be aware of those fertilizers. While most are not very toxic (resulting in minor gastrointestinal irritation when consumed), some fertilizers can be fatal without treatment. Here are a few ingredients to be aware of so you know what toxins and symptoms to watch out for. Blood meal - This is dried, ground, and flash-frozen blood and contains 12% nitrogen. While it's a great organic fertilizer, if ingested, it can cause vomiting (of some other poor animal's blood) and diarrhea. More importantly, it can result in severe pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. Some types of blood meal are also fortified with iron, resulting in iron toxicity, so make sure to know what's in your bag of blood! Bone Meal - This is made up of defatted, dried, and flash-frozen animal bones that are ground to a powder. This "bone" is also what makes it so palatable to your dog, so make sure to keep your pet from digging in it and ingesting the soil. While this also makes a great organic fertilizer, it can become a problem when consumed as the bone meal forms a large cement-like bone ball in the stomach - which can cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract - resulting in possible surgery to remove it! Rose and plant fertilizers - Some of these fertilizers contain disulfoton or other types of organophosphates (OP). As little as 1 teaspoon of 1% disulfoton can kill a 55 lb dog, so be careful! Organophosphates, while less commonly used, can result in severe symptoms [including SLUD signs (which abbreviate for salivation, lacrimation, urination, and defecation), seizures, difficulty breathing, hyperthermia, etc. In some cases, it can be fatal! Pesticides/Insecticides - Most pesticides or insecticides (typically those that come in a spray can) are basic irritants to the pet and are usually not a huge concern unless a pet's symptoms become persistent. Some may contain an organophosphate which can be life threatening when consumed in large quantities. It is always best to speak to a trained medical professional if there are any questions. Iron - This is commonly added to fertilizers, and can result in iron toxicity (from ingestion of elemental iron). This is different from "total" iron ingestion, and can be confusing to differentiate. When in doubt, have a medical professional at Pet Poison Helpline assist you with finding out if the amount ingested was toxic or not. Large ingestions can result in vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and potential cardiac and liver effects. The best thing any pet owner can do is to be educated on the household toxins (both inside the house and out in the garden!) - that way you make sure how to pet proof your house appropriately. Make sure to keep all these products in labeled, tightly-sealed containers out of your pet's reach. When in doubt, please feel free to call Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns if you're worried that your pet could have inadvertently gotten into anything! Toxic fumes, vapors, dust in the air that you breath in can be dangerous for you too. Take precautions and may both you and your dog be safe!



April 2009

Spring plants (toxins) to avoid for your pet!
Hi Everyone!!!! We dogs like to eat lots of stuff in the yard. It's fun and taste good, but it's not always good for us. Below is a article on some of the plants us dogs should not eat. Hope you find it educational. Spring plants (toxins) to avoid for your pet! By Erica Cargill, CVT and Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC Spring is just around the corner. Plant bulbs are just as excited to break through the ground to add some color to our yards as we are to see some greenery! That said, we need to be aware of the potential dangers spring plants can be for our pets. Here is a list of some of the most common spring plants and their toxicities... so you know how to pet-proof your garden and keep your pet safe! Tulips and Hyacinth Tulips contain allergenic lactones while hyacinths contain similar alkaloids. The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), so make sure your dog isn't digging up the bulbs in the garden. When the plant parts or bulbs are chewed or ingested, it can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and esophagus. Typical signs include profuse drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed. There's no specific antidote, but with supportive care from the veterinarian (including rinsing the mouth, anti-vomiting medication, and possibly subcutaneous fluids), animals do quite well. With large ingestions of the bulb, more severe symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and changes in respiration can be seen, and should be treated by a veterinarian. These more severe signs are seen in cattle or our overzealous, chow hound Labradors. Daffodils These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties (something that triggers vomiting). Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression. Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling. Daffodil ingestions can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care for further supportive care. Lilies There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it's important to know the difference. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus - this results in minor drooling. The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies, and these include Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies - all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) can result in severe kidney failure. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently we can treat the poisoning. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis. Crocus There are two Crocus plants: one that blooms in the spring (Crocus species) and the other in the autumn (Colchicum autumnale). The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family. These ingestions can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea. These should not be mistaken for Autumn Crocus, part of the Liliaceae family, which contain colchicine. The Autumn Crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure. If you're not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to their veterinarian immediately for care. Signs may be seen immediately but can be delayed for days. Lily of the Valley The Convallaria majalis plant contains cardiac glycosides which will cause symptoms similar to digitalis (foxglove) ingestion. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly seizures. Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.


Hi! My name is Bordaux Midnight Blue Sky; just call me Blue! I am a one year old Border Collie and the newest member of the Andress pack. My mom has great dreams for me; we are in training for agility, obedience, rally and good manners. Mom said this is my page on the LDCT website. So... in between training sessions I will be thinking of all the wonderful things I want to tell you about each month. Of course, Mom will have to do the typing; my paws don't type too good.