My dog never gets out – right! Help your pets find their way home.

Three days. That's the amount of time your lost dog has before he or she is legally someone else's property. Bet you didn't know that. The provincial Animal Protection Act and City of Regina by-laws are very clear about ownership. While it seems a little harsh, it makes sure that animals are cared for rather than homeless.

Time and time again animal shelters hear the same story, “I didn't get a license because my dog or cat never gets out.” All it takes is once, and you've got a problem. That's why identification is so important – it's your pets best chance of finding their way back home. In Regina it also increases the number of days that your pet is your property from three to 10. There are lots of identification options with lots of pros and cons, so it's best for your pets to wear a bunch:

• Tattoos - anyone can see that they're dealing with an owned dog. However, over time, they become difficult to read. And, if you've got a “used” dog who has already been tattooed, contact the veterinary clinic who did the original tattoo so they can update their files with your contact information.

• Microchips are very permanent. However, they must be read using a scanner so they're not accessible for Joe Public to easily check. As well, some times the chip travels from the insertion point to other parts of the body, so they can be missed even by those who regularly use the scanners.

• City licenses – typically connect your dog with the their most current owner contact information. However, they can fall off, so it's important to make sure they're tightly hooked to the collar. As a side benefit, they often they include a “get out of jail free card” saving you lots of money if your pet gets out and turns up a shelter.

• Store-bought ID tags that contain name and contact numbers are great for people who live in areas without licensing bylaws like me. They're easy to read by anyone.

• ID collars – because your dog's name and your phone number are embroidered onto the collar, they're easy to read. (Using a sharpie marker on a plain collar works too.) However, the collars themselves can fall off especially if your dog looses weight, or if it's loose.

• Rabies tags – because this vaccine is highly controlled, this extra tag can lead your dog back home.

You can be proactive by keeping a file on each pet that contains all of their information - identification markings, health records, photographs, etc. A more high-tech option is to register your pets in advance on PetLynx. They connect lost and found dogs to owners, animal shelters, municipal animal services, and others. By creating a profile for each of your pets in advance, should they ever become lost, you won't waste time searching for their vital information and photos, you can simply change their status to lost and be connected to matching found dogs. They offer a free seven day trial, and have different upgrade packages.

If you lose your pet, be proactive – quickly! Because animals roam, it's important to contact your local and surrounding area humane societies and municipalities. By having your pets wear lots of identification, checking in with municipalities, and doing your own lost dog posting, you're more likely to help your pet come back home.

The $1,600 Dieffenbachia plant: helping your pet avoid poisonous plants

Blossom is a very, very lucky girl. One day while home alone, she decided to graze on some leafy greens. Unfortunately, her choice was the toxic Diefenbachia plant. After work, her mom noticed a drooling, wheezing, non-responsive dog with blue hazing over her eyes (she said she looked like a fish does before it dies!), so she rushed Blossom off to her veterinarian. $1,600 later, Blossom was fine, and plant simply had a good pruning.

The toxic Diefenbachia plant before Blossom ate it

When dogs eat this type of plant, their esophagus swells and they suffocate to death. Unfortunately, the German shepherd and black lab, who were at the same clinic earlier ate only two leaves from similar plants. Both died.

When you live with pets and plants, toxicity should be top of mind because lots of house and garden plants are toxic to pets. I love dogs, and plants. As a University of Saskatchewan Prairie Horticulture Certificate program graduate, my tip for you is that when you live with pets and bring plants into your life, be cautious.

Here's what being cautious looks like. I live on an acreage and can always use more plants. Last summer, a friend offered me some perennial Solomon's seal plants. Right away, I accepted. My next move was to figure out this plant. I Googled it to find out its Latin name, which is Polygonatum, and quickly discovered that it's toxic to dogs, which made my planting location really easy – I would bring it in, but keep in a dog-free area of my yard.

Because many plants are location-specific - eg. what we grow in Saskatchewan is different than what is grown in California - there's no one “go-to” source for information about plant/pet toxicity. Most plants have at least two names, and more than likely many names. For example, Saskatchewanians are very proud of our saskatoon berry, which is just one of its “common names”. However, the “Latin name” for this plant is Amelanchier alifolia, and other common names for exactly the same plant are serviceberry, sarvice berry, Juneberry and shadebush. After doing the research, I wouldn't let my dogs eat Saskatoons or chew on the bush. According to the Government of Canada “The shrub has an hydrogen cyanide (HCN) potential high enough to kill cattle and mule deer. Mule deer that ingested 1 kg of fresh weight per day were poisoned and died within 24 h of the appearance of clinical signs”.

Know and research the common and Latin names of plants your dog has access to - this goes for both indoor house plants and outdoor petscaping. When it doubt, err on the side of caution.Here are some additional resources to help you out:

Government of Canada

Pet Poison Helpline

ASPCA Poison Control Centre

When it's hot, hot hot outside: preventing heat stroke in dogs

Jessie knows exactly what she needs on a hot day – a shady spot and a cool, refreshing drink of water

Some dogs will literally play until they drop – especially ball-fixated dogs like labs. They don’t have many ways of telling you that they’re overheating or suffering from heat stroke, so it’s up to you to watch for signs: check their gums – they should be pink, not bright brick red or blue, and watch for excessive panting, increased heart rate and temperature, and confusion. In extreme cases breathing stops, there’s bruising, vomiting or diarrheoea, seizures or ultimately coma.A recipe for a healthy, happy dog in the summer is water, shade and careful supervision. Monitoring and limiting their amount of play-time during the hottest time of day is essential. Never, ever leave your dog in a vehicle in the summer – they get too hot. And, for extra doggie comfort give your dog their own pool for easy self-cooling.



If you suspect that your dog is overheating, get their temperature down immediately. Place them in a shaded area and submerge them in cool water – especially the head and paws – keeping their face above water. Spraying them with a hose works too. Encourage them to drink water and check their temperature regularly, making sure you don’t lower it too low so they go into hypothermia.



Learn more about how to prevent health problems by taking a pet first aid course nearest you.

Not all vomit is created equal: dogs eat anything

Jerry the lab threw this up!

Shortly after young lab Jerry arrived, he threw up a little bit. Not pleasant, but not something to worry about. All it took was a quick clean-up and a little snuggle. About an hour later, he threw up two two-inch lag bolts, a piece of metal, fragments of kids’ toys, and a ball of wool. Yikes – Jerry was quickly off to the vet for an x-ray. Dr. Sheppard said his guts looked like a Marshall-Wells Hardware store. Lucky for Jerry, he passed two desk keys and some other gunk without needing surgery.

Sadly, we hear this story all too often. Skittles had surgery to remove a half ball that the neighbours’ children accidentally threw over the fence. Luckily he had eaten a small rock, which showed up on the x-ray. Maggie ate a bath towel. Carly usually passes socks, but needed $3500 in surgery to get the last one out. Shadow the vizsla has had two surgeries, the first to remove a Power Ranger, and the second, a small stuffed money. Sadly, Spike the dalmatian died after a baby pacifier gummed up his intestines.

Although anything small enough to swallow could be a problem, according to VIP Pet Insurance, the most common items dogs eat are socks, underwear, pantyhose, rocks, balls, chew toys, corn cobs, bones, hair ties/ribbons and sticks.

If your dog vomits a little bit, don’t worry about it, but if the vomiting is frequent or projectile, or if there is associated diarrhoea, blood, a fever, lethargy, or distended abdomen contact your veterinarian. If your dog ever throws up metal or other nasty objects, go to the vet. If you’re unsure, check their circulation, and if their gums are white, take them to the vet right away.

To prevent gastrointestinal obstruction, remove small objects from any place your dog has access to, and check their toys regularly to remove small or damaged items.

Petscaping: designing Fido-friendly outdoor spaces

This big bad boy is Gryphon. Our first, enormous golden topped out at 120 pounds, and when he was a puppy, he was a holy terror. Just into our new home, we decided to get our adorable puppy. We had enough sense to think about some landscaping basics - a high fence and doghouse, but that was about it. This cutie-pie tore chunks of sod up, chewed our little trees down like a beaver, and dug up my beautiful new rose bushes. Our yard was a total disaster.

Dogs need fencing, shelter, shade, water and a bathroom space. Some dogs are climbers and can even leap over six foot fences, and some dig recreationally or to escape. Many create patrolling paths. And of course in Saskatchewan, you need to think about how one snow blizzard can easily turn a six foot fence into a three foot suggestion.



Petscaping is the term to describe landscaping with your pet’s needs in mind. My second passion next to dogs is horticulture – planning, planting and enjoying landscapes, gardens and yards. If you love dogs and gardens, here are some things to think about when planning your yard.



Fences and Gates

If you’ve got or may get a big dog, install tall fences. Some dogs can get over six foot fences with a single leap. Think about how you’d handle it if your dog ends up being like that. Think about the smallest dog that you might have too and make sure they can’t slip through any holes in the fence.



Some dogs dig. Either install your fencing down into the earth so your dog can’t get under it or create a cement barrier just under the fence and/or gate area.



If your property backs onto an alley, street or park, decide how you can reduce the risk of children taunting your dog, which can cause difficult behavioural issues for your dog (obviously kids taunting dogs already have behavioural issues …).



What kind of gate closure will ensure that no one can enter and leave the door open for your dog to escape, and that your dog can’t accidentally knock it open?



Decking



Dogs' feet are made for walking, and they’ll wear the finish off any wooden surface. If you want paw-friendly decking, choose something that doesn’t need refinishing. Concrete, bricks or some of the newer synthetic woods are great solutions.



Walkways



Dogs like walking the perimeter and patrol paths. If you’ve got the luxury of being able to watch your dog before installing paths, use their natural movements to help you choose where to put them.



Waste



Dog urine kills grass. If you want them to pee and poo in your yard, are they trained to go in one spot or will anywhere in the yard work? Are children also using the space? Perhaps a separate dog run away from the children's play area would be appropriate. What do you want to do with the poo – a close garbage or perhaps a dog poo compost space?



Dog run



Dogs most likely to bite are un-neutered dogs that are chained. Untethering your dog is one of the kindest things you can do. If you want your dog to have a separate dog run, make it large enough for them to enjoy, and think about how your dog will easily move from your house to the run. It’s pretty simple in the summer, but think through the winter months too when there’s three feet of snow in your back yard and you want fido to move from your back deck into his run to go potty.



Dog houses



Some dogs love to jump up onto their dog houses. When you’re thinking about where to place the dog house, be sure that it’s not right up against a fence – otherwise it could be a step ladder to the other side of your fence.



Design your dog house so it’s raised off the ground, has a door flap, is insulated and, if used in the winter, is heated. Really good houses have a “wind wall” – basically, the house is set up with two rooms – they enter into a porch that opens into their actual sleeping quarters. Lots of neat designs are available online.



Water

• Drinking water: Where will your dog’s water bowl be located so it’s away from their potty area and easy for you to access and remember to fill? If used in the winter, you can buy heated dog bowls to make sure the water doesn’t freeze - that bowl needs to be near an electrical outlet so it can be plugged in.
  
  
• Grooming: Will you want to wash your dog or at least their muddy paws outside? If so, think about water tap location relative to your dog’s space and your back yard.
• Play pond: If your dog loves water, do you want a spray pond or kiddie pool to be part of their back-yard life? If so, think about how to restrict unsupervised access so they can’t drown.
  
  

Garbage



If your yard also houses your garbage cans, think about how you’ll limit Fido’s access too it. Nothing smells quite as good as a fresh bag of garbage to a dog. Can you section off the maintenance area of your yard from Fido’s area?



Digging

Dogs love digging. Work with that tendency by creating a digging garden and off-limits areas. For your digging garden, create a pit with sand or gravel. Within the pit, bury favourite treats like peanut butter stuffed Kongs, then watch your dog enjoy the thrill of discovering great treats. For the off-limits garden areas, lay down chicken wire on the ground, then affix it to the soil with landscape ties. Your dog won’t be able to dig in those areas.



Plantings



Especially if you have young dogs, it may be easier for you to keep a good yard if you use raised flower and garden beds and pots instead of ground-level plantings. If you do go for ground-level plantings, you can purchase decorative fences to put around the plants to keep them safe.



If you want a fruit or vegetable garden avoid planting or restrict your dog’s access to grapes, rhubarb, onions, garlic, green tomatoes or potatoes, all of which are toxic to dogs. Dogs love fruits and vegetables - our Gryphon would eat the raspberries off the bottom branches!



To make it easy to select your plants and trees, do it in two steps. First, pick items that work for your planting zone and design needs, then, before buying, check if those plants are toxic to dogs by using the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) online plant tool.



When doing lawn and plant care, be sure to select fertilizers that are pet-friendly. Lots of fertilizers can burn their foot pads if applied incorrectly. Store these items in an area that is safely away from your dog.



Mulch as a toy



Some dogs chew or eat mulch, so be really careful about what you use. Cocoa mulch is toxic to dogs, so avoid that completely. Some dogs chew on and swallow rocks, which can break teeth and lodge in their intestines, which is deadly for them and expensive for you. Determine a safe mulch or ground cover and watch to make sure that your dog is being safe around it. To limit chewing, give your dog lots of alternate items to chew on – raw bones, raw hides and peanut butter or frozen chicken stuffed Kongs are great.



Enrichment



Will your yard be a puppy paradise? You can purchase dog equipment for agility and other sports. If you plan to spend time in that area, it’s worth investigating before your design is finished.





Once you’ve thought it all through, take a quick survey to make sure your dog is comfortable through all seasons. Do they have shade during the hot summer months? Do they have warmth through the winter months? Are you both comfortable with what you’ve got? If you answered yes to all of those questions, have fun with your summer project and enjoy your yard!