20 THE BRANDON SUN • Lake Life • SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2024
Cottage care for your Fur Family
Maggie, a twelve and a half year old Weimaraner, leaps from the water of Clear Lake to catch pebbles thrown by Erl Preston and Kirby Sararas from a dock in Wasagaming. Maggie loves to catch and then drop pebbles. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
BY TRINA REHBERG BOYKO B
contagious and potentially deadly virus- es and bacteria. Tick prevention is another big one, according to Innes. While wood ticks can transmit certain pathogens, it’s deer ticks that can spread the dreaded Lyme disease. In dogs, as in humans, the first telltale sign is a red circle that looks like a target around the tick bite. Still, even if the red circle isn’t visible, you should watch for fever, loss of appetite, painful or swollen joints, and a change in gait.
Oral tablets are her preferred method of tick prevention, as they get into a pet’s bloodstream and stop ticks from biting long enough to transmit disease. While it’s still necessary to check for ticks and remove them, the oral tablets—which are taken once a month during the tick season of March through November— are a strong line of defence for your pet, and in turn, for you.
Bathing suit? Check. Stash of snacks and marshmallows to roast
around the bonfire? Check. A good book to read while lazing in the hammock or curled up under the covers? Check again. Whatever your must-haves for en- joying lake time, don’t forget your four- legged friend’s essentials, too. The prep work to get your pet ready for the lake starts long before the pack- ing does, as it’s key to make sure they’re up to date on the vaccinations that will keep them safe. “Rabies is the most important thing you want to vaccinate your pets for be- fore you go to the lake,” says Angela Innes, a registered veterinary technolo- gist and practice manager at Grand Val- ley Animal Clinic in Brandon. “If they’re going to be out in the wilderness, the possibility of running into a rabid ani- mal is a lot higher than in the city.” Other vaccines, like the distemper combo, offer protection from highly
“If your pet isn’t using tick prevention, then obvious-
ly you’re at risk of get- ting them, too,” says Innes.
“ If your pet isn’t using tick prevention, then you’re at risk of getting them too. ~ Angela Innes
“The juvenile forms of the deer ticks can be as small as a pinhead, so you wouldn’t be able to find them on your pet,” says Innes. Innes warns
Mosquitoes are also pesky critters that can cause dis- ease in your pet, and they’re all too common in cab- in country. Should a mosquito bite an animal infected with heartworm, it can trans- mit the infection to another ”
against tick collars, which she says can be toxic to animals or chil- dren who might come in contact with them. Topical tick prevention may not be the
best option either, particularly if your pet is known to jump in the water. “If they’re in the water every day swimming, chances are you’ll have to reapply the topical treatment more of- ten,” says Innes.
animal. Your vet can prescribe tab- lets that ward off both ticks and heart- worm, giving you two less things to worry about during your lake time.
» Continued on Page 23
Powered by FlippingBook