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Dog parks....

Even though we encourage exercise and socialization, which dog parks can absolutely provide, there are still a few things that concern us. Below are 5 good reasons to think twice or at least a guide on how to protect your dog.

1. Infectious Disease

The dog park is a place where dogs can come together with little to no rules about who is allowed and who is not. Which means vaccinated or not they are welcomed in without much concern for public health.

Kennel cough, for example, which is highly contagious, plus there are multiple strains can be easily transmitted between dogs and honestly, no fun to get rid of. Vaccinating is key, but since strains can vary and mutate, there are still opportunities for infection.

This year, Georgia has fallen victim to the contagious strain of dog flu. We encourage owners to protect their dog with the vaccine, which can help protect against the American strain of canine influenza, it’s not yet known whether this vaccine offers immunity to the new Asian H3N2 strain that’s involved in the Midwest outbreak.

We recommend bringing your own toys, poopy bags and dog bowls to the park, in the attempt at keeping cross contamination at a minimum. Intestinal parasites will always be an issue at a dog park and unless everyone is diligent at picking up after their dogs, it should always be a concern. Keeping you dog on a good parasiticide, like Heartgard, that should help control the spread of some intestinal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms.

2. Heatstroke

On days like today that the head index will reach 98 degrees, it is detrimental that you pay attention to signs of overheating. Make sure your dog doesn’t overdo it. The main way dogs keep cool is by saliva evaporating off their tongue and mouth.— otherwise known as panting. Always have cool water available and shade to help cool the body down.

3. Unwanted guests - Fleas and Ticks

Since there are little to no rules, dogs don't have to the basic in parasite care, like flea and tick prevention, which ultimately means they can share their fleas and ticks with your dog. Give us a call if you need help choosing the best flea and tick preventative.

4. Puppies are very concerning...

Getting puppies out and about is so important to develop social skills to learn the basics of dog and human interaction, but dog parks are not place to learn those lessons. If you want to introduce your baby to another dog, be it a dog that you know is balanced, vaccinated, current on their parasite protection and in a controlled environment. Otherwise, it is best that you wait til they are old enough (6 to 9 months) to visit with strangers.you might decide to hold off.

On the other side of the coin, you have the senior dog or a dog with a health issues which may not be the best candidate to join in the festivities. If you are concerned at all, talking to your vet for his/her recommendations is best.

5. Naughty pups

Pets behavior at the dog park is ignored or overlooked all too often. It is the responsibility of all owners to consistently pay attention to their pet's behavior and to the other dogs reaction to their pet's interaction. It is absolutely detrimental that dog owners learn dog body language and what to look for when it comes to acceptable interaction. This can be helpful in avoiding unwanted negative interactions. A negative experience, especially in a young dog, can have lasting effects.

At the end of the day, your attitude about the dog park, your fears and how you walk into the dog park will determine how your dog reacts. You are the example...so lead by example.

If at all possible, find a dog park that separates the small and large breed dogs, since that can be one less thing to worry about.

At the end of the day, we are not discouraging the wonderful potential benefits of the dog park experience, we want you to be armed with information that will keep your dog healthy and safe.

If you ever have questions about anything, don't hesitate to contact us, we will be more than happy to help in anyway we can.

Until next time!

Dr Marcus Smith

770-993-6329 or [email protected]