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Dog Parks

Most of the area parks of course allow your dogs to come too, just keep them on a leash and please bring the bags to clean up after them! 

Check out our Parks Directory for a complete list of parks all around Central Illinois.  Complete with photos of the playgrounds if you are bringing your human kids too! 

There are a few that have special places just for our four-legged friends!

 Stuart Park:  The official dog park in the Springfield area.  There are two fenced in areas one for the big ones and one for the little!

Riverside Park:  Dogs don’t have to be on a leash in the front part of the park

NOTE: Carpenter Park:   In the nature reserve part, you can now have your dogs come too, but they must be on a leash and stay on the path.

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Safeguard Your Pets

• Going green and composting?  Keep the pups out; some dangerous mold can be lurking about!

• Watch pesticide use; use only whats needed and consider more natural options to keep your pets (and plants) thriving

• Some plants can be very toxic to animals Check out www.aspca.org/apcc to learn more.

Tips for keeping them safe during the summer heat!

Reprinted with permission from the Animal Protective League (APL)

By Karen Adkins

 With hot weather here, be sure to take precautions to prevent heat related illness or injury to your pet.  

• Never leave a pet in a vehicle.  Leaving a car window open a few inches won’t prevent adequate cooling and ventilation, and temperatures rise quickly to levels that can cause heat stroke, brain damage or death.

• Animals are much happier left at home, especially inside where it’s cool on a hot day. If you must keep an animal outside, be sure to provide shade and plenty of fresh cool water throughout the day in a well-ventilated area.

• Heat stress can be brought on by a number of things: exposure to excessive heat, dehydration and too much exercise in the heat.  Some pets are more susceptible than others: i.e. the very young and old, short-nosed breeds, overweight pets and those with respiratory or cardiovascular problems.   

• Heat stress symptoms to be aware of include: excessive panting or salivating, warm, dry skin, an anxious or staring expression and fatigue or collapse.  If your pet is exhibiting any of these symptoms, try to cool him down by gradually immersing him in cool water (do not leave him unattended, even if conscious), to spraying him with cool water or applying ice packs to the head or neck.  Wrap him in cool, damp towel and take him to the vet immediately for further treatment.

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Keep Cats From Chewing Cords

Tips from the APL

Cats are attracted to electrical cords and cables because of the animal by-products used in their manufacture to keep them pliable.  Chewing cords and cables is not only destructive; it puts them at risk for shock.  To counteract chewing, keep electrical cords tucked out of the reach, under furniture or rugs.  If this is not possible, coat the cord with jalapeno pepper oil or wrap it in aluminum foil; cats are not fans of either of these items and it may discourage them.  Another option is to purchase some PVC tubing, wide enough to both plug and cord, from the hardware store and thread the cord through that.  If you still have problems with destructive chewing, get your pet checked out by the vet; she might have a tooth or gum problem.

The Springfield Pet Exchange was created to help people interested in finding pets connect with pet owners who can no longer keep their animals and seek to find them loving homes.  Through a national website, members can post messages, comments or questions and arrange meetings to exchange pets. 

For many of us, our family is not complete without the addition of our beloved animals.  For some, the pets came first.  In our house, we adopted one dog from the Animal Protective League; our 80-pound Labrador Buddy, and two years later we adopted another one; 50-pound Labrador D.J.   Becoming a dog owner was a mild warm-up to our lives ahead as parents.  We couldn’t come and go as we pleased anymore.   Who would come home at lunch to let them out?   Numerous items were chewed on, destroyed, peed on, pooped on, and vomited on.  Unfortunately, this still continues so we keep a gallon size container of Simple Solution in our home. 

But, Buddy & D.J. lived the good life.  Sleeping on our bed, enjoying daily walks, and photo ops in our annual holiday card.  We had playdates with a neighbor’s dog, Roxy!   I’ll admit I even created a scrapbook of our dogs.   I believe that is when I knew it was time to address my biological clock!   

One of my fondest memories of pregnancy is that both dogs loved to rest their head on my ever growing tummy.  When we came home from the hospital with our firstborn, our big dog, Buddy, peeked his nose carefully over the pack n’ play to check out his new sister.   A month into adjusting to new baby, our dogs got into a fight in the nursery with the baby being cradled in grandma’s arms.  I rushed between the dogs to break them apart (do NOT do that!)  and got a nasty dog bite on my arm.    The outburst came out of nowhere, but it quickly reminded me that my furry-children are animals, and my eyes were open wider for the future. 

Flash-forward four years to a house filled with two preschoolers, and Buddy & D.J. have had a lot of changes to endure.  They have adapted amazingly well.   We haven’t had any more outbursts, and they tolerate being dressed in tiara and capes and always follow “the pack” around so we all together when at home.  I do believe that having two pets is better than one because they are able to entertain each other when we are out of the house.   They still lead the good life; fluffy beds to sleep on and lots of treats and room to run and play.  However, I am sure it’s not the same feeling of being top dog all the time like the life pre-kids.   But one of the best lessons our pets teach our children is the power of unconditional love.  That’s all they ask from us is for love, attention…and delicious snacks!    

Mixing dogs and kids can be a lot of fun, but it also is important to remember that their animal instincts cannot be forgotten.   

Here are some tips to keep everyone safe:

• Do not leave your children or anyone else’s alone with your pets.  Some experts say this is advisable until age 11.   You can’t predict the child’s behavior any more than the reaction from the animal.  
• Babies tend to treat pets like toys; they need to learn how to safely and gently pet and show love and attention to the animal. 
• Give your pet extra attention when the child is asleep.
• Watch your pet for signs of jealously or depression.
• Make sure your pet is getting enough exercises and is eating well.
• If you are bringing home a newborn, bring home blankets from the hospital before you bring the child home, so the pet can “smell” the baby.  A few months before the baby is born, play tapes of babies crying so they can get used to the extra noise.
• Reference Book:  Childproofing your Dog: A Complete Guide to Preparing your Dog for the Children in Your Life by Brian Kilcommons.

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Ticks: the downside of the outdoor experience! By Kim Little

We had a great family vacation in a rustic area with our dogs this summer, but the downside was when we got home we found numerous  ticks on our dogs—GROSS!  Anyways, one got on the back of my daughter’s head!  I absolutely despise bugs, but when you are a mom; you have to suck it up and do your job.  Thanks to friend Audrie Haag for telling me to put iodine drops on the tick to help it loosen  the “grip” before it is removed.  See this AAFP website page for a helpful handout on the do’s and don’ts of tick removal.  Link: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020815/643.html  Have any more unusual questions for the doctor?  Click on Ask the Professional

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