Safety Archives - My Big Old Mutt

Pet Disaster Preparedness: How To Include Your Large, Senior Dog

This month is National Pet Preparedness Month and so I thought we’d talk about why it’s important to have an emergency plan, not just for yourself and your human family, but also for your dog. June is the start of the hurricane season in the US. Tornados and wildfires are also prevalent this time of year. With more severe weather events and other disaster incidents occurring every year, having a plan for both human and pet safety is no longer an option. There are local, state, and federal government agencies dedicated to planning for these incidents. But multiple incidents have…

Safety

How to Cool Down a Dog This Summer

The Dog Days of Summer Did you know that there are actual dates for the Dog Days of Summer? I did not until a couple of minutes ago. The term originally referred to the days when the star Sirius (the Dog Star) was visible in the sky before dawn. It was bright enough that the ancient Greeks thought that it added heat to the Sun and caused the days to be the hottest of the year. The 40 days around this event became known as the Dog Days of Summer. But the Earth’s rotation isn’t fixed and so the positions…

Safety

Making A Basic Dog First Aid Kit

Ok, so in addition to being a nurse and dog mom, I’m also a bit of an emergency preparedness nerd. I don’t mean those crazy people with tin foil hats and bunkers. I do mean having basic supplies on hand to handle whatever life decides to throw at me that day. One of those basic supplies is a first aid kit. Many of the items that you include in a dog first aid kit are the same as a human one, but there are a few differences to consider. Your big, old best friend is a lot hairier than the…