Summertime is the perfect time to spend outdoors with your pet. Whether you are planning to take your pet on vacation, trips to the park or lake, or just hanging out in your yard, outdoor play offers important exercise, fresh air and valuable bonding time for both you and your pet. It's important to be a responsible pet owner and monitor your pets when spending time outdoors. Dogs, especially, can become overheated. If your dog begins panting excessively or acts fatigued or wobbly, they need to cool down. Give them plenty of fresh water and get them to a cool place to rest

In the summer, dangers to dogs increase due to their spending more time outdoors. As we dog lovers prepare for potential danger we often overlook the sun. Illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion increase along with the air temperature. Dogs can develop heat stroke or exhaustion from any activity that raises their body temperature – even swimming!

Dogs pant to cool their body but they only sweat from their paw pads. Dogs with short muzzles such as Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Pugs and Boxers are more susceptible to heat stroke and their owners should be extra cautious.

Signs of heat stroke include excessive panting and heavy breathing, excessive salivation followed by sticky dry mouth, loss of balance and a lack of response or refusal to obey commands. Rectal temperature rises and the dog may vomit, collapse, go into shock or have a seizure.

Heat exhaustion is caused by too much exercise on hot days. The signs of heat exhaustion are similar to heat stroke. A dog with heat exhaustion may vomit, stagger or fall, or have muscle cramps but will not necessarily have a rise in temperature. Move the dog to a cool area and keep him calm while offering water.

Heat stroke, or Hyperthermia, is caused when a dog’s body temperature rises above the normal 100 to 102.5 degrees (94 to 97 degrees for puppies under 4 weeks). This rise in temperature can be caused by exercise or excitement and can develop in just a few minutes.

Heat stroke can be fatal if not treated immediately but you must take steps to cool the dog before transporting to the veterinarian. To treat heat stroke remove the dog from the heat and into air conditioning if possible. Begin cooling the dog immediately using cool – not cold – water. Cold water or ice should not be used because it can decrease circulation and actually delay cooling.

Bathe or rinse the dog with cool water for a few minutes. Cold packs can be applied to the groin or armpits, and paws can be sprayed or wiped with water. Place the dog in front of a fan, the cool breeze will help speed the cooling process. Check the dog’s temperature every ten minutes until it is below 103 degrees, at which point the cooling process should be stopped so that the dog does not develop hypothermia.

Hyperthermia can result in death in a short amount of time so getting your dog to the veterinarian quickly is of utmost importance. Kidney failure, irregular heartbeat and seizures can result from heat stroke, sometimes showing up hours, or even days, later. Even if your dog appears completely recovered he should be examined by a vet.

Dogs play their hardest with no thought to the outside temperature. It is up to us, their human caretakers, to take the steps necessary to prevent heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Never leave your dog in a closed car during warm weather. Not even in the shade. Temperature rises quickly in cars and can reach lethal temperatures in minutes.

Do not pen your dog on concrete or asphalt surfaces as they absorb and reflect heat back to the dog, making the surface temperature hotter than the air.

Always provide lots of fresh water and a shaded area if your dog is outside. Be sure that the shade will cover your dog throughout the whole day as the sun moves across the sky. If natural shade is not available use a Silvershade Mesh cover for your exercise pen or kennel. Silvershade Mesh is highly reflective; it blocks 60% of the sun’s rays and still allows air flow.

Exercise your dog early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the heat of midday. If your dog is not accustomed to strenuous exercise, start with small amounts of activity in the coolest part of the day so he doesn’t overexert himself.

The obvious concern in the warm weather is for outside dogs but even inside dogs can overheat if they become too excited on a hot day. In addition to giving your inside dog plenty of water you might consider a Chilly Bone or Chilly Cone to cool your dog while he chews. If your house is closed up, be sure to provide your dog a cool place indoors with a fan or air conditioning.

Inside and outside dogs will benefit from a Cool Bed III. Fill this unique cooling bed with water and it will lower your dog’s body temperature while he lays on it. No electricity needed!

The Kool Dogz ice treat maker will keep dogs cool and hydrated while they lick their way to their favorite toys and treats. If you can make ice cubes you can make this custom frozen treat for your outside dog.

Cherrybrook offers a variety of products to make your dog’s summer cool and safe, from Cooling Beds, Cooling Systems and Kennel Covers to Travel Water Dishes. With some common sense and a visit to www.cherrybrook.com, your dog can be healthy, happy and cool this summer.

A mutt is a mutt is a mutt…or is it? Mixed breed dogs can feature a larger number of contributing breeds than meets the eye. The dog that looks like a German Shepherd mix can be a Heeler-Chocolate Lab, or the fluffy puppy that you are sure has some sheepdog in him can be a Husky and a Schnauzer mix. Does it matter? Yes and No. You will still love your mixed breed dog no matter what his ancestors were, but knowing which breeds he is made up of may help you to know what health and behavior issues to be alert for. Dog breed DNA testing is an accurate way to determine breed makeup.

DNA, or genetic code, is passed from the sire and dam to the offspring. DNA determines the color of eyes, hair color, size, inherited disease and many other traits. Each cell within a dog contains a complete sample of DNA which is identical to every other cell within that dog and contains all the information about that dog. Because DNA code is unique to that individual, it can be used to distinguish one dog from others.

The AKC has used dog DNA testing to verify parentage of AKC dogs and for genetic identity purposes. The AKC has DNA testing requirements for stud dogs and recommends dog DNA testing for litters in certain cases.

Breed Identification
The DNA Breed Identification Kit uses DNA analysis to determine which dog breeds are present in your mixed breed dog. Knowing which breeds are in the mix will allow you a greater understanding of your dog’s behavior and potential health risks. Dog breed DNA testing is a simple way to increase your knowledge of your dog’s health and habits to ensure you have a long and rewarding relationship with your dog.

Upon receipt of the samples at the BioPet testing site, the samples are analyzed, resulting in a rapid and accurate determination of the breeds that have contributed to the makeup of your dog. You will receive an Ancestry Analysis Certificate with the levels of each breed that have been detected.

BioPet Vet Labs state that they “believe that 92.5% of the mixed breed dog population in the USA is covered by the 63 validated breeds”. The validated Breeds are based on breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Proof of Parentage
The DNA Proof of Parentage Kit uses swabs for the sire and dam, as well as the puppy, to determine the puppy’s parentage. Once a dog is tested, simply retain the DN numbers to include them in any future parentage analysis. Once your dogs' profile is entered, you never have to re-enter that information. The only way to be sure of your dog’s genetic makeup is dog DNA testing.

Dog breeders give careful consideration to the choice of parents before breeding. The DNA Proof of Parentage Kit gives peace of mind that the resulting puppies are the product of the intended lineage.

While some dog DNA tests require blood to be drawn, the DNA Breed Identification and DNA Proof of Parentage tests from BioPet Vet Labs do not. The collection of cells containing DNA is painless for your dog. The inside of the dog’s mouth and cheek are brushed with a cotton swab. Return the swab in the prepaid envelope and results will be analyzed and mailed within 2 weeks.

Both simple, easy to use dog DNA test kits can be purchased at Cherrybrook.com or in one of our retail stores.

We are very pleased to report that our Grand Opening the weekend of April 24th was a huge success! There was a lot going on but the most memorable moment occurred on Saturday when members of the Cherrybrook Premium Pet Supplies Little League Team came by for our ceremonial ribbon cutting. The party atmosphere continued throughout the weekend.

Roy Cobb from Tar Heel Kennels was very busy giving free nail clippings to all the dogs that signed up and even those who just showed up.

Several of our dog food vendors were also present to give out free samples and coupons for future purchases. They were answering customer questions and providing great information on proper pet nutrition. We hope you had a chance to talk with some of them. The food representatives will be back from time to time so you will have a chance to meet with them in the future as well.

It was great to hear the positive comments most everyone made about the store and their wishes for our success. We are off to a good start and look forward to getting to know you and your pets even better as we plan more events down the road.

Thank you for your support during our grand opening and especially your repeat visits to our store.

We are here to help answer your questions and give you support in raising your happy and healthy pets!

by Claudia Loomis