Posts in Category: The Great Outdoors

Hurricane and thunderstorm season is fast approaching here in Georgia, and the thunder, lightning, deluge, and potential for natural disaster can leave our pets particularly vulnerable. Your friends at Clairmont Animal Hospital would like to take this opportunity to discuss strategies for protecting and providing for your pet’s comfort and safety during severe weather.

Thunderstorm Preparedness For Pets

Many pets experience high levels of fear and stress during even slight thunderstorms. In some instances, very frightened pets may even try to escape the home. We recommend the following tips for thunderstorm preparedness for pets:

Running is a great activity for humans and dogs alike. Our four-legged friends make the best running partners; dogs want to be with us, they have boundless energy, and it’s hard to skip a workout with those puppy dog eyes waiting expectantly at the door. 

There are plenty of “do’s” for running with your dog, and a few don’ts as well. Come along with Clairmont Animal Hospital as we check out the basics of a running program with your best fur pal. 

The Do’s Of Running With Your Dog

When it comes to running with your dog, we recommend starting with a check-up. Just as with people, you want to have a clean bill of health before starting any new exercise program. 

If you’ve got an adventurous dog or cat that loves exploring the great outdoors, it’s important to protect your pet from Lyme disease—a tick-borne illness that poses a year-round threat to pets (and people!) in Georgia’s mild climate. At Clairmont Animal Hospital, we want to help you keep your cats, dogs, and family members safe by sharing what we know about preventing and treating Lyme disease in pets.

Have you been spending too much time on the couch? Has your dog been giving you the stink eye every time you pass by the leash? It might be time to dust off those running or hiking shoes. There’s nothing quite like outdoor walks with your dog to get you motivated.

The team at Clairmont Animal Hospital has compiled a few pointers to keep your pet safe, as well as some local suggestions for good fun and exercise.

Safety First: Going on Walks with Your Dog

Before you grab the leash and head outside, make sure you brush up on summer pet safety tips. Be a dog walking pro with the following suggestions:

Plants are easy prey for herbivores. Unable to evade hungry predators, many botanicals developed chemicals in order to stay safe and alive. They look so beautiful, and yet, many plants are capable of causing various maladies in both animals and people. To keep your pet safe around poisonous plants (inside the home and in the great outdoors), we offer some effective strategies:

Each year in the United States, more than 6 million pets become lost or missing and end up in shelters. An astounding percentage of the pets that go missing are never reunited with their owner. 

Most pet owners assume that they’ll never have such an occurrence or that their pets will never wander away, but accidents happen all the time. One gate left open or a quick few minutes an owner looks at their phone while their pet is playing can result in a missing pet emergency.

Microchipping pets is a good solution to avoiding a permanently lost pet. This is why the team at Clairmont Animal Hospital is here to tell you more about this important chip and how they work.

During the summer, many of us are on the go. We’re outdoors playing, hiking, boating, or just hanging out in the backyard with friends and family. For pet owners, this also means including our pets in all the fun.  

However, the summer heat and humidity can cause problems for our furry loved ones. That’s why Clairmont Animal Hospital wants to take a moment to review some tips for summer heat safety for pets.

The Basics

Temperatures are rising all over the Decatur area, and it’s important to know that pets don’t sweat the same way that humans do. Imagine wearing a fur coat all summer long! It’s easy to see why preventing overheating in our pets is so important. If you think it’s hot outside (or inside!), it’s even hotter for your pet. Continue…

Having a pet first aid kit on hand is a smart idea – after all, we all know a pet (ahem!) who is a little accident prone. A pet first aid kit also comes in handy during a natural disaster or if you’re stranded far from immediate help. With the arrival of camping season and outdoor summer adventures, now is a great time to assemble a pet first aid kit. Continue…

For outdoor lovers, there’s no better feeling than to kick back and take in all the beauty the natural world has to offer. For those with pets, that’s all the more reason to keep camping on the list of awesome summer activities. While your friends at Clairmont Animal Hospital certainly agree with this, there are some precautions to consider before camping with a pet.

To make your outdoor adventures the most epic of all time, be sure to plan ahead for the safety and comfort of your furry outdoor buddy.

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