Pet Health

I read on the internet that it’s blue-green algae season and that the stuff can kill humans and other animals, especially dogs. Is that right? What is blue-green algae? My dog Lily loves to swim wherever and whenever she sees water. Should I really be worried?

Oh gross, I just got home from the vet with my six-month-old puppy, Bozo. I took him in because he had diarrhea and the vet says he has giardia and gave me some medication. What is giardia? How could he have gotten it? Am I likely to get it from him? What should I do to prevent him from getting it again?

The 2015 New York legislative session is over and you will remember that we nagged you a fair amount to do your part to support legislation to help animals. As always, not much of it passed, but the good news is that Senator Terrence Murphy, a Republican from the 40th Senate District (parts of Putnam and Westchester counties) is already starting to garner support for legislation that he has pending in the 2016 legislative session coming up in January.

I have just started training to do road races. I am 57, so this is a big adventure for me. My questions is do you think it’s a good idea to take my dog, Penny, with me on training runs. She is used to walking with me every day and even though she’s five she has a lot of energy.

Something interesting. The ASPCA just announced a new collaboration with the New York City Police Foundation’s Crime Stoppers program. As a result of this initiative, people in New York City can now easily provide anonymous tips about suspected animal cruelty crimes in the city’s five boroughs. Crime Stoppers even offers rewards of up to $2,500 for tips leading to an arrest and indictment.

I am thinking about adopting a kitten, as my 18-year-old “Bumpkus” passed away last winter and there is a huge hole in my house that used to be filled with purrs (and fur). I just read that the Oswego County Humane Society is running a “Special” on kitten adoptions – you can adopt two kittens for $100 instead of the usual $200 that it would cost for the adoption fees. But do you think it is a good idea to adopt two kittens at once? Or is the Humane Society just trying to push kittens out the door with this special?

We received an email from the ASPCA this morning and decided to pass it along to you in its entirety. It’s something that we did not know about a plant that you can buy here in Oswego County now, the Sago Palm. It’s a nice looking plant, but, unfortunately, deadly to pets. Here is what the ASPCA has to say:

It’s getting into the dog days of summer. We know our readers would never leave their dog(s) in a car because they are aware of the dangers of overheating and death. They know that cracking the windows does not prevent deadly heat buildup inside a car and that even on a relatively mild 70 degree day, the inside of a car will quickly reach 90 degrees. But do you know what to do if you see someone else’s dog alone in a car on a hot day?