Vet issues urgent warning to dog owners with artificial lawns
Veterinarian issues urgent warning to dog owners with artificial grass – this could seriously injure your pet
There are few things more fun for your pup than playing in the yard, especially now that the sunny days and warmer weather are approaching.
But a vet has warned that a popular feature could seriously injure your pet and burn your dog’s paws if he overheats.
Some may be surprised to learn that fake grass – which absorbs and retains heat very well – is a common culprit for this.
Dr. Sarah-Jane Molier, based in the Greater Oxford Area, shared Pet Radar that burns – especially if they are severe – are not only painful for your pet, but can also take a long time to heal and put your dog at risk of infection.
She advised that as temperatures begin to climb, it’s important to watch out for other hot surfaces as well, including asphalt and concrete sidewalks.
Some may be surprised to learn that fake grass – which absorbs and retains heat very well – is a common culprit (stock image)
If you and your four-legged friend enjoy beach walks, Dr. Molier recommends looking out for dry sand on the beaches.
And it’s not just heat either – chemicals from lawn pesticides and bleaches, used to tend your yard, can give your pup chemical burns.
The vet stressed that even melted ice cream and products containing salt can cause “serious damage if you’re not careful.”
According to PetMDleg burn symptoms include limping or a “red, ulcerated, or translucent pad.”
Your dog may lick his injured paw, hold it abnormally, or vocalize while stepping on the injured paw.
The Pet Health Hub advises that burns are generally easy to spot in your dog and — just like in humans — can cause blisters that can rupture a few days later.
To prevent this, PetMD advises avoiding extreme weather conditions, double-checking surface temperatures — and avoiding them if they’re too hot (or, in colder climates, too cold).
Paw burns can also occur if your pet is not used to a new surface, so consistency and gradual introduction to new territory is also a useful preventative measure.
It’s because the boom in pet ownership has led to an “extremely worrying” increase in aggressive behavior by dogs, according to a survey of veterinarians.
Half of UK vets report an increase in customers concerned about their dogs’ increasingly aggressive behavior over the past 12 months, the survey found.
While veterinarians in the study were often unsure of the exact age of the dogs involved, it was believed that 87 percent of the dogs were under three years old in cases where the age was known.
Nearly one in four veterinarians also reported an increase in the number of pets they had treated in the past 12 months and were injured as a result of dog aggressive behavior.
The British Veterinary Association, which commissioned the study, said the findings highlight the long-term effects on puppies purchased during the 2020-2021 lockdown.
An estimated 3.2 million households in the UK bought a pet in the first year of the pandemic, with the number of people owning a dog increasing compared to early 2020.
Pandemic puppy owners were more likely to be dog owners, less likely to look for a breeder to perform health testing on their breeding dog(s), or to view their puppy in person.
A 2022 Royal Veterinary College study funded by the BVA’s animal welfare organization, Animal Welfare Foundation, predicted the risk of behavioral problems in some pandemic puppies purchased in 2020.