In this issue of Newshound, we visit Florida, where a wild bear cub with a jar stuck over his head is saved by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees . Also, a report on a new law affecting animals from Massachuchets, a dog named Belle calls 911 to save her owner, Sadie the Rottweiler gets a pacemaker, and in Denver, Willie the parrott saves a choking toddler.

This is the time of the year when dogs are at high risk for suffering from the effects of heat. At Gardner Animal Hospital, we have seen several dogs that have suffered from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, so please be careful when you let your pets outside.

The old saying, “I am sweating like a dog”, is inaccurate at best when used to describe prolific sweating in humans. Dogs do not sweat. They have no sweat glands in their skin. Dogs dissipate heat by panting. Consequently, dogs are very prone to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, much more so than their human counterparts. You may be perfectly comfortable and your dog may be in real danger. Heat exhaustion or heat stroke will happen when your dog cannot dissipate heat faster than it builds it up in the body. This causes a dangerous rise in temperature.

Dogs and the Pesky Mosquito!

Summer is upon us and it is mosquito season. Why should you care? Ah, because your dog doesn’t want to get heartworms! What is that all about? Many people who come into our clinic on a daily basis really do not understand much about this parasite—the heartworm.