First Aid
you are like me, get yourself a good first aid book but don't just put it on the shelf. Read it. You don't have to be well versed on every subject, but knowing the basics before incidents happen, will aid you in helping your pet. I also keep my vet's business card taped on the inside cover.
Two books I recommend are the following:
Title: First Aid for Dogs: What to Do When Emergencies Happen
An excellent source of information and a book no pet owner should be without by Bruce Fogle
Title: The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets)
Another great resource for every pet owner by Amy D. Shojai
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Dogs live by the information they receive through their nose and from time to time that same nose will get them into trouble.
Keep all toxic substances such as antifreeze, cleaning supplies and trash out of reach. Check the area around your home for bee hives (mud daubers nest in the ground) and any plant that may be toxic or grow brambles that can stick in the fur and irritate the skin.
Secure all gates and make sure your fence is high enough to prevent escape. I have an enclosed area attached to the back of my house with a dog door, water supply and dog house.
Since my dogs were very big I attached the dog house in front of the dog door to hide the entrance. As my dogs leave the kitchen they enter the dog house then exit to their run which is covered with 3 inches of stone. This makes clean up easy and since the fencing is installed in a two foot concrete base that is under ground (except of the four inches to keep the stone in place) my dogs cannot dig under it.
Because there are no shrubs or grass in their run, my dogs rarely pick up ticks and because I bleach the stones once a week, fleas and odors are never a problem.
I let the bleach sit for an hour and then rinse the run with water before I let the dogs outside. All of this may sound like extreme measures but my dogs are able to come and go as they please, they are always clean, and their area is secure
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