Pet owners are panicking over the recent reports about the dog flu. Mutt owners need to hold their horses and to quit spreading rumors about recent outbreaks.

-Canine influenza is a mutation of an equine flu. For years other species of animals have faced the flu but this is the first documented canine strain and the canine flu vaccine is already in the early stages of research.

-Symptoms mirror that of kennel cough. Watch for coughing, nasal discharge and fever.

Remember the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?”

Use common sense:
-Don’t let your pet share water bowls or toys out in public.
-seek the services of an in home pet-sitter instead of kenneling
-and keep your pet away from sick animals.

This is animal behaviorist, Diana Guerrero inviting you to take an armchair safari into the animal kingdom at www.arkanimals.com. Thanks for joining me for today’s Ark Animal Answers and feel free to contact me with your questions.

Today’s Critter Chat concerns: How to Help Pets Beat the Heat

Summer heat is hard on pets who can die from overheating or the complications of heat stroke in just minutes.

So, here are five tips to beat the heat with pets:
1 Leave your pets at home.
2 Provide plenty of cold water, shade, and use misters to cool the air.
3 During heat waves keep animals in air-conditioned rooms.
4 Don’t leave pets in the car even for a minute.
5 Avoid taking pets to outdoor events like flea markets, festivals and parades.

If you have a problem:
-Use cool water and douse an overheated pet with a hose or immerse in a tub of water.
-Wet the belly and inside of the legs and run cool water over the tongue, mouth and paw pads.
-Get the animal to a veterinary hospital immediately

This is animal behaviorist, Diana Guerrero inviting you to take an armchair safari into the animal kingdom at www.arkanimals.com. Thanks for joining me for today’s Ark Animal Answers and feel free to contact me with your questions.

Listen to the Podcast of Help Pets Beat the Heat now.