Vet Locks Himself In Hot Car For 30 Minutes
Dr. Ernie Ward

We've all done it. We've left our dog in the car for just "a few minutes" while we ran our errands. But what we don't understand is just how hot that car can get in a matter of minutes.

Dr. Ernie Ward wanted to bring attention as to just how hot a car gets and how dangerous it can be for your dog. So he "shvitzed it out" inside his Coupe for 30 minutes, all the while video taping it for posterity. He shares his experience with us.

As a vet, Dr. Ward is always telling people about the dangers of leaving your pet in a parked car and he wanted to see what it was like firsthand. He picked a typical summer's day in July, cracked all of the windows a couple of inches and sat in the car with a nice breeze outside to see how hot the inside of the car would get. It was 94 degrees outside, a typical day for the southeast.

Dr. Ward said the experience "sucked" and was terrifying. The temperature quickly began to rise from 94 degrees to well above 100 degrees in five to ten minutes. After about 15 minutes, the car reached around 115 degrees, which is life threatening for most pets.

He started perspiring profusely, which is how humans try to cool off. Unfortunately, our pets can't perspire. They've got fur coats, perhaps a few extra pounds, maybe even preexisting kidney or heart problems, all of which can add up to a real disaster if they're left in a hot car, even for a few minutes.

So why didn't he just put the thermometer in the car and watch from the outside? He wanted to actually experience the feelings and helplessness and the terrifying sensation of being left alone in a car when you can't do anything about it.

The video was taped by Dr. Ward's children with plenty of passers by. While most people don't think anything of leaving their pets in the car to run in the store and grab something, people were concerned when they saw a man in a car on a hot day.

The video received over 500,000 hits in the first four days, because people relate to those emotions, as Dr. Ward becomes visibly suffering as the minutes tick by. Or maybe they would like to see their own vet locked in a hot car! But Dr. Ward feels that even if just one person refrains from leaving their dog in a hot car, then he has done his job!

So far in the United States this year, 4 children have died as a result of being locked in hot cars. However, we have no idea how many cats and dogs have died from hot cars. This is an awful way to die!

Dr. Ward has proven that even though the day is breezy and the windows are all cracked, the temperature in a car can quickly escalate. So why even take your dog along with you? Unless you are going to the vets or the groomers, there is no reason to take your dog with you on hot days. But why not just leave the car running and the air conditioner on? That is another show all together! Your dog can hit the gearshift and actually move the car. Just don't do it! But why not just park in the shade? You don't realize how fast the sun moves and a car parked in the shade will be in the sun before long.

Fear Free Vet Visits
Dr. Marty Becker, America's Veterinarian

Dr. Becker joins us as a Veterinary Correspondent, reporting on important stories from the world of all things furry. This week he'll take the fear of vet visits out of our pets.

Fear Free veterinary visits. Here's how to go from the living room to the exam room with more "wags" than "wigging out!" How to take the pet out of petrified.

The animals in the Animal Radio Studio have always been afraid of going to the vet. In fact, when Dr. Debbie comes in the studio, the animals exit! Perhaps it is her smell? Her white coat? Who knows!

Maybe you even hate going into a dentist office? You might remember the sights; sounds of the drill and just the overall smell of the office when you were a child. The dentists figured this out, and took some steps to make it a more pleasant environment and experience. Now, they might have videos playing, a pleasant fragrance in the air and fun toys.

Veterinary medicine has come a long way with great preventative care for accidents and illnesses, but what was ignored and not even known of its existence right in front of their eyes, was the fear and anxiety of our pets.

Pet owners have always known this and have gone to the Internet for advice or a treatment plan. They might even buy products to reduce their pet's stress during a vet visit.

A study done by Bayer Animal Health, called the Brakke Study, showed that pet owners claimed that 60-percent of dogs and about 80-percent of cats hated going to the vet.

Some of the most obvious signs you'll see if your dog is stressed is shaking, licking and yawning. Some of the more subtle signs are hardening of the eyes, shifting of weight or avoiding a glance by putting their head down between their owner's legs. The signs for cats, which are mainly in carriers, are increased respiration, hardening of the eyes and their ears and tail are down.

But perhaps you have a dog that loves going to the vet's office and just runs up to greet everyone. Look closely. Even those animals show signs of anxiety. They are more likely the retriever breeds that can overcome it easier than some of the more smaller, nervous breeds.

Some animals don't just get uncomfortable; they may actually feel like they are going to die.

To battle this, Dr. Becker has helped design a new carrier to make it easier for your cat or small dog. It is called the Navigator Kennel. The front door swings both ways and it opens on the top for easier loading. It is also easier to take apart to remove an animal.

Two hospitals that Dr. Becker worked at in Northern Idaho thought of some ways to make it more comfortable for your pet at the vet. Here is what they do for cats:

When your cat is taken into the vet office they are immediately taken into an exam room. This is a feline only exam room, so there is never the smell of a dog. The carrier, instead of being put on the table, is put on the floor, with the door open facing the wall.

The owner is given an information sheet explaining what the hospital is doing, such as using dimmer lights, speaking in a lower tone of voice and that there are currently pheromones in the air that the humans can't smell. There is a pheromone for cats and one for dogs. The cats can't smell the dog pheromones and the dogs can't smell the cat pheromones, and the humans can't smell either one. There is also special music playing, which has been clinically approved to reduce stress.

The vet then gives the owner time alone in the room with their pet for about 10 minutes, because that is how long it takes a cat to decompress.

They will then place an extremely thick towel that has been heated, on the exam table.

Hopefully these new procedures by these two hospitals will put a lot of pressure on other veterinarians. Because once you know that these procedures exist and help your pet, you might ask, "Why doesn't my vet do that?"

But there are still things you can do by yourself. Check out the Navigator Kennel to see if it might be helpful to you. Also, always keep the kennel out. Don't hide it in the closet or the garage and the get it out the morning of the visit. Leave it out somewhere and make it a very pleasant place for your pet to visit. You can even place food or new toys inside.

Purchase the pheromones for your cats called Feliway. There are several brands of pheromones, but they are not all clinically proven to actually work. Before you load your cat, put pheromones in the carrier. You will need three towels sprayed with this pheromone. Put one towel on the bottom, one loose towel so they can bury themselves and the last towel should be placed over the entire carrier.

There is also a product called anxitane. Dr. Becker advises his clients to give it twice. The first dose should be given at 12 hours before a visit, with the second dose being given 2 hours before the vet visit. It comes in two sizes for large and smell pets and is available over the counter. It is a natural product of green tea extract, available in a chewable form. Cats love the taste of Anxitane, with some vets calling it "kitty crack!"

Follow these tips and ask your vet to make some changes, and you will have a fear-free pet when you visit his office. Everyone wins!

Listen and Explore the Fear Free Expert Series

When Pet Food Is Medicine - Dr. Debbie

Proper pet nutrition is more than just diet choices for the healthy pet. It's even more important to properly feed the sick pet or those with chronic diseases. What you put in your pet's food bowl can help, or harm, his ability to cope with illness.

Peek into your average veterinary office and you'll likely find one or more brands of therapeutic diet foods created to manage pet specific pet health conditions. Veterinarians prescribe therapeutic diets to help pets with kidney disease, diabetes, pancreatitis, weight loss or heart disease. Special digestive diets may focus on hypoallergenic ingredients, fiber content or fat levels. Some diets prevent or dissolve mineralized stones in the urinary bladder. There are even diets to keep the spring in your arthritic dog's step and diets to aid in treating pets with cancer.

The grandfather of veterinary nutrition was Dr. Morris, who in 1940 designed a diet to improve longevity of his dog, Buddy, who was a seeing-eye dog battling kidney disease. His efforts led to the introduction to Hill's K/D diet, a favorite diet used today for dogs and cats with kidney dysfunction. Today, many more diets and conditions are addressed by companies such as Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina and Iams.

As a veterinarian I recognize the value that therapeutic diets lend to managing my patients' health. But my strongest testament to their value is as a doggie momma who feeds a therapeutic diet to my own dog, Magnum.

My Labrador Magnum suffers from food allergies with frequent facial skin infections, bad skin odor, scratching and unpleasant gastrointestinal signs with diarrhea and flatulence. After several diet trials with various hypoallergenic diet approaches, he now thrives on a rabbit based therapeutic diet by Royal Canin. His doggie kisses are sweeter smelling now, he's content and he isn't a walking gaseous explosion anymore.

But be prepared to dig deeper in your wallet for therapeutic diets. The research behind these foods will cost the consumer more than average pet foods. But the investment can pay off in lower medical costs and fewer veterinary visits, justifying the additional cost. In Magnum's case, we are able to avoid continued treatment of skin infections, thereby avoiding medication use and he is spared incessant itching.

Some pet owners turn to home cooked diets in order to avoid the costs of therapeutic diets. Without guidance and veterinary nutrition analysis, pet owners may risk shortchanging their pet's nutrition. One research study identified that over 90-percent of home prepared diets for sick pets failed to be nutritionally adequate. Quality ingredients aren't cheap and a well-produced home cooked diet often ends up costing far more to prepare than commercially produced therapeutic diets.

If your veterinarian recommends nutritional management with a therapeutic diet, discuss all the options with your doctor. Inquire about different brands and sizes of food packages available, as many choices are available. Get your money's worth on these diets by following your veterinarian's recommendations. Avoid mixing therapeutic diets with regular foods. This only hinders your pet's results and give you a false sense of saving money by making the food last longer.

As for Magnum, I choose to feed him his therapeutic diet and avoid popping pills into him. That's my gauge of a therapeutic diet success - food that serves like medicine in the doggie bowl, but without the hassles.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend." Dr. Debbie's books.

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Pet Sitter Neuters Champion Dog
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Tennis Ball Surgically Removed
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Pets Earn Frequent Flyer Miles
Pets were rewarded for loyalty not just by their owners, but also by airlines, as part of a growing number of pet frequent flier programs. Dogs and cats that travel on a Virgin Australia domestic flight collected points for their owners that could then be used to obtain discounts on future flights. The animals travel in hold, as usual, but with the benefit of earning participating Virgin Australia club members a minimum of 300 points. Virgin Australia flies almost 30,000 pets each year around Australia and a large proportion are owned by Velocity members. This was Australia's first frequent flier program for pets, but similar schemes are already available on other long-haul flights.

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