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6A Daily News – Saturday, September 15, 2012 healthPetsactivities & Having a heart By RONNIE CASEY Recently, two very spe- cial heartworm positive dogs left the Tehama County Animal Care Cen- ter. Both were long-time residents, passed over on numerous occasions, not because they were not wonderful animals, but because they had heart- worm. The cure can be costly and challenging, factors most potential adopters do not want to deal with. Without receiv- ing therapy, heartworm positive dogs will die. For- tunately, for these two, they will be receiving treat- ment and are expected to recover well. Heartworm, a very dan- gerous disease, is an easily preventable condition in dogs (as well as cats) caused by a type of para- site transmitted by mosqui- toes. In the US, dogs that live in areas where mos- quitoes thrive are at huge risk. Simply put, the dis- ease is a killer. worm-transmitting mos- quito bites, tiny larvae are deposited into the blood- stream. They move through the body harming vital organs until they reach the heart, where, when they mature, they can reach up to twelve inches in length. Too many of them can cause heart failure resulting in death. However, by giv- ing a relatively inexpen- sive, monthly oral medica- tion, heartworm in dogs is easily prevented. One may wish to give the dog the chewable pill only during The moment a heart- By RONNIE CASEY We have an amazing community. Each day resi- dents of our wonderful county prove themselves repeatedly in their unselfish support of the many animals who reside within these boundaries. Recently in an area where many do not tread, a rancher happened upon a dog sitting alone under the meager shade of one of the few trees present. The area devoid of either food or water, offered little in the To cool pets in summer heat, try a garden mister I just discovered a great thing to keep pets cool in the summer and, like other great ideas, I cannot imagine why I did not think of it before. when they were outdoors. My chickens and other yard birds hated the heat as well. So a reader advised me to try a patio misting system that you can buy at any home cen- ter for as little as $40. In the past, I had a lot of problems keeping my dogs cool MCT file photo typical mosquito season. However, because many of these medications also include a control for round- worms, whipworms, or tapeworms, it is best to give the preventative throughout the year. If a dog is infected, it cannot transmit the disease to either people or other pets. Heartworm is only conveyed through the bite of an infected mosquito. One of the first symp- toms that the animal has heartworm is coughing. Coughing up bloody mucous and chest pain fol- low. Other symptoms are vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Some dogs may not have any symptoms until the infection is in its late stages. The best way to treat heartworms is, initially, to Though his own ani- mals needed tending, over a period of days the ranch- er made sure the dog had what was required while keeping his solitary vigil. One day the rancher stopped folks hiking up the dry, barren, dusty trail and asked if they knew who might own the thinning dog. Unfortunately, they did not, but in kindness offered to help. way of sustenance to the lone dog. This solitary dog, unbe- have x-rays and blood tests done to establish how seri- ous the infection is. After this, a series of injections of drugs called adulticides is administered to the dog. The two adulticides used most commonly are deriv- atives of arsenic. Depend- ing on whether all the pre- treatment tests are done or just the treatment done, costs can range anywhere between a few hundred dollars to over a thousand. However, if you use the common monthly preven- tative in a dog with the dis- ease, after about two years you will kill most of the heartworms. Unfortunate- ly, while being treated the heartworms continue to cause permanent damage to the heart. Nevertheless, if someone cannot afford the actual treatment, using the monthly preventative is A dog alone knownst to him, had start- ed a community rallying. Word spread quickly. Did anyone know the dog? Was the dog alright, he had not been seen? Had the owners been found? Animal control went to look for him. Strangers during lunch hours, after work, morning, noon, and night took turns searching for the dog. Word of his plight continued to spread, concerned individuals numbering in the hundreds waited for news about him. The heat during the days was increasing and to all, time was running out. Finally, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. A family, who assured all that the animal would be well taken care of, had found the dog. We may never know the names of all those involved — from the initial rancher who saw the animal and supplied the first helping hand; to the many who net- worked and spread the story; to those who donat- ed precious time and resources searching; and ultimately to the family who opened not only their home but their hearts. Though we do not know the names, we do know that our amazing commu- nity rallied together, not for notoriety but out of con- cern and unbelievable compassion for one dog alone. an alternative. It is also important to remember that during and after treatment for several months the dog must remain quiet. After the worms begin to die, they break into pieces that may cause blockage of vital blood vessels, which could also result in death. Keep- ing the dog quiet allows his/her body time to absorb the dying worms. take care of our beloved pets. Heartworm preven- tion is definitely a good start to assist in insuring they have long, active lives and healthy hearts. It is our responsibility to volunteer with Providing Essentials for Ronnie Casey is a Tehama Shelter. You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at redbluffdailynews.com. The systems use hardly any water and do not leave a muddy mess like my dogs' wading pool that we used in the past to cool them off. It is just a nylon hose that attaches to a garden hose or a spigot; it has a series of nozzles attached to the end that force out a very fine, cooling mist. For my chickens, I draped the hose over the top of their fence so the nozzles spray the mist in their yard. It also wards off the flies that used to hang around the chicken pen; the insects hate the mister, and that makes my chick- ens' lives much easier. Even a non-mechanically minded person like me was able to install the mister easily. I highly recommend it for all outdoor pets in this heat wave. Q: Three months ago, we took our Quaker parrot to our local pet store where we bought him to get his wing feath- ers trimmed. Now he is flying, and we have to take him back, as we do not want him to fly away when we have him outdoors. How long does it normally take these feathers to grow back? Do we have to do this every three months? A: Feathers are not like hair or fur. If you trim one, the feather itself does not regrow. The feather that was cut short needs to fall out of the bird's skin naturally when the bird goes through its annual molt. The new feather that grows back to replace the trimmed feather will be of a normal length and thus needs to be cut to keep the bird from flying again. have a shorter additional molting period to grow special breeding plumage. As a rule, the whole process for a bird to lose each of its old feathers and to grow a new set takes about three months. So if your bird's feathers were trimmed right before the bird started its annual molt, then in three months all the cut feathers will have been replaced and the bird will be able to fly again. Most birds will molt once a year, although a few species bird finished molting. then the feathers would stay as they are for another nine months, until the molting season starts again. It is the responsibility of the bird keeper to know what month his or her bird starts its annual molt and to time the wing trimming around this. If the bird's wing feathers were trimmed right after the she would eat a little bit in a distracted sort of manner when we put her food down, and then she would walk away. Eventually we ended up just leaving her food down all day. She eats a little bit here and there throughout the day. Each morning, we throw out what is left, wash out the bowl and refill it with more kibble. She is 3 years old now, and we are getting another Yorkie puppy from the same breeder next month. We know the new puppy's food is going to be different from what our adult dog is eating. Could you suggest how to control what food each dog eats? Some birds will molt in the summer, but it really depends on when the bird was born, as a bird will usually start molting its wing feathers on its first birthday. Domes- ticated birds can be born most any time of the year, so bird keepers need to be proactive about this. Q: Our Yorkie has never been a good eater. As a puppy, A: Some dogs eat to live and others live to eat. Your dog is in the first category, so free choice feeding works for you and her. It does not work well in every case, how- ever. for a few months as part of its education, so you are going to be feeding it under super vision. Later, when you have the puppy running about the house, you can just take up the food dish of the other dog. It will not be an issue for the older dog for the short period of time the puppy will be running about. However, when the puppy grows up, you may need a separate feeding station for it if that dog is going to be fed free choice as well. and fat in it than the formula for an adult dog, so you do not want the puppy to eat the older dog's food, and vice versa. I do not think this will be much of an issue. The puppy will need to be kept in a crate or a playpen Some dogs do not share well in situations of free- choice feeding. Only time will tell what is going to happen in your situation. Sierra Pacific Industries Announces Land Closure in Fire Areas Sierra Pacific Industries has closed the entire areas affected by the Ponderosa and Bagley Fires to the public until further notice. The Ponderosa Fire in Tehama and Shasta Counties, including the area between the communities of Shingletown, Viola, Manton and Mineral is closed to the public. The Bagley Fire in Shasta County, near Big Bend, is also closed to the public. Sierra Pacific Industries is committed to being good stewards of the land. Timber salvage and rehabilitation of burned areas will begin soon. Due to the increase in equipment traffic, and the dangerous potential for falling snags, we are posting these areas with No Trespassing signs. Your cooperation is appreciated and we will let you know once these areas are reopened to the public. We are doing this for your safety. Thank you for your cooperation. The kibble for a growing puppy has a bit more protein