Spring is almost upon us and

along with better weather it

also brings on blood sucking

bugs! Not a very nice way to

put it, but it is entirely true.

Fleas and ticks can cause

your dog to become anemic

(loss of blood), give them

tapeworms, and even cause

death from illness passed on

by the insect.

If you had trouble with these

critters last year, you can

guarantee that you will have

them this year!

Start now by treating your

yard and fences. Ticks will

climb up on your fence to

get away from the pesti-

cides you put on the ground.

Use a good flea and tick

medication such as K9

Advantix®This product not

only kills the bugs that are on

them, but also helps protect

your pet from re-infestation. It

also gives protection from

mosquitoes (Mosquitoes are

the cause of heartworms and

West Nile virus).

Try to steer clear of the

cheaper varieties of preventa-

tives as they have been

known to have ingredients that

will cause chemical burns on

your pet.

Note: Never use K9 Advan-

tix® on cats. Look for products

just for felines.

Treat your yard every 30 days

to kill the life cycle of the in-

sects (or look at package di-

rections)

Please read your direc-

tions in the product that

you use on your yards as

some if them are harmful

to your pets and you may

need to keep them off the

treated area for 24-48

hours.

If you have an extra tough

case you may have to call

in an exterminator that can

spray inside and outside

the house.

Think ahead now to protect

your pet!

Jolynn Payne

President

Nobody wants to be somebody else’s

dinner including your pets!

Our next adoption

event will be at our

office, March

2nd,2013 from 12:30

to 5 PM. Stop on by

and meet your new

best friend!

Emergency Binder a Pet Owner Must It’s almost spring and you

know what that means… the

possibility of tornados. Many

pets are displaced when a

disaster strikes. Are you

prepared for a disaster?

Well let’s

start out with

an easy thing

to make for

the entire family. An

Emergency Binder. This

binder will contain all the nec-

essary information for your

family including your furry

kids. Be sure to keep the

completed binder in a safe

place like a tornado shelter,

safe, or in your emergency

preparedness bag. Some

items you should include are

important phone numbers,

map of the area, emergency

locations to meet up if you are

separated, copies of drivers

license, birth certificate, vacci-

nation records, passports,

home, health and auto insur-

ance documents, wills, and

recent pictures of each family

member. For your pets have

recent pictures of them, in-

clude a copy of their vaccina-

tion records, and micro-chip

information. Create premade

Lost posters with pictures and

leave areas for dates to be

written in. Also be sure to

include cash, in the event the

electricity is out and you

cannot use debit or credit

cards. The internet has a lot

of resources on emergency

preparedness take a look,

create a binder, and hope that

it will not have to be used.

Carrie Wright

Lost and Found Coordinator

Breed Spotlight 2

Leptospirosis 2

Puppy Problem Solver 3

Doggie Dilemma 3

Technical Desk 4

Inside this issue:

Flea and Tick Season is Coming!

The Pawprint

February 2013 Volume 1 Issue 4

“Are you prepared for a disaster?”

Australian Cattle Dogs

(ACD), commonly

known as Blue Heelers,

Red Heelers or

Queensland Heelers

are a breed that origi-

nated in Australia.

Like their name sug-

gests, they were devel-

oped to drive cattle tire-

lessly across the harsh

conditions found in the

terrain of Australia.

Because of this, they

have been bred to have

a sharp nipping bite,

boundless energy, very

high intelligence, and a stubborn

streak to keep coming back for more.

This dog is very Velcro and does not do

well when left alone. They bond very

closely with their family and can be

standoffish to strangers. This

breed is wonderful for active

families with older children that

can spend a considerable amount

of time with them.

Training this breed is imperative.

They can be extremely mouthy

and need to be taught from an

early age what is appropriate.

Since they are a herding breed,

they will like to chase and nip at

anything that moves, so

small children are not

usually great around

this breed. Heelers are

highly trainable and

loyal dogs that make wonderful pets in

the right setting. They excel at agility,

herding, obedience, and as companion

dogs.

If you are considering adding a ACD to

your family, you will be rewarded with a

loyal companion that will always want to

be by your side.

Also, when considering any breed or

mix, it is always a good idea to review

the breed standard to make sure the

breed characteristics are exactly what

you are looking for.

All puppies are cute, so make sure the

one you pick is suitable for your

lifestyle.

Tracy Cowin

Assistant Adoptions Coordinator

Breed Spotlight: Australian Cattle Dog

positive identification. Most infections are subclinical, which means no signs of disease will ever develop and your pet will never experience illness.

How can your dog avoid this disease? A vaccine is available, however, while

the vaccine is not 100% effective against all leptospirosis strains it is recommended to get the vaccine if you

live in areas where you walk your dog around streams, lakes etc. However, in the South Plains region we are limited to intermittent water supplies through the playa lakes. So personally it is not recommended to get the vaccine if you are living in an arid environment like West Texas - especially if all you are doing is walking your dog around the neighborhood. Another precaution is to ensure that you have good quality pest control at your home. Rodents do carry the disease and can transmit the dis-ease to dogs from their droppings. Another side-note if your spouse is a hunter or trapper - take the extra pre-caution of getting the vaccine just in case the disease was brought into the house from a hunting trip. Just to always be safe – never allow your dog to drink from standing water during walks or hikes.

Christena Stephens

Vice-President

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic, bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals. The bacteria are found in fresh or stagnant water that has been con-taminated by animal urine. When ani-mals are exposed to this disease through water and soil, the bacteria is either taken up through their skin, gums, nose, and eyes or through directly drink-ing the contaminated water.

Environmental factors of warm, moist locations are conducive for these bacteria to flourish, especially in stagnant water. They die on dry sur-faces. Areas heavy populated with ro-dents or wildlife also increases expo-sure risk.

Clinical signs include fever, lethargy, appetite loss, muscle stiffness or sore-ness, or vomiting and diarrhea. Confirm-ing this infection is through blood work through your veterinarian. Elevation of kidney and liver values, along with high white blood count are the primary indi-cators with an outside lab confirming

Leptospirosis – Avoiding the Drink of Fresh or Stagnate Water

Page 2 The Pawprint

Meet Sookie, an ACD puppy

that will soon be available for

Dear Puppy Problem Solver: I have a 5 year old Miniature Schnau-zer. She is completely trained and does what she is told on command. Recently she has a thing for getting into the trashcan while we are not home. We don’t put leftover food in the trash so there’s no food, it’s just trash she’s get-ting into and placing it all over the house. How can I break this? - Christy Ann via our Facebook page Christy Ann: Prevention is the key to most household problems especially when it comes to garbage raiders. When a dog is left home alone for extended period of time, dogs tend to get bored and are con-stantly finding new ways to keep them-selves entertained. Imagine the trash can as a huge Christmas present! Your dog never knows what it is going to get out of it… awesome smells, things to shred, and a whole new world of play toys! Unfortunately this may lead to not only a big mess for the owner to clean up, but also a health hazard for your pet that could result in an expensive trip to the vet. While you can't get mad at the dog after finding a mess several hours

after it has happened, you can prevent the problem several dif-ferent ways. You may try getting a new trash can with a heavy lid and step panel. Some dogs may figure these out if they are too easy to open, so choose a heavy trash can that takes a lot of pressure to open from the step pedal. If buying a new heavy duty trash can is out of the ques-tion, try relocating the trash can to a pantry or in a cabinet. Baby locks work well for securing an easily opened cabinet. Also try some-thing simple like a weight on the lid or a bungee cord to prevent the lid from opening when you are not home. Now for the boredom issue... We don't want your dog finding other "fun" things to do in your house so try leaving your dog fun enrichment items to help keep them busy while you are away. We discussed a wide variety of enrichment ideas in Volume 3 of our newsletter. Try rotating toys, leaving doggie puzzles for them, or the TV on during the day. Remember

it is our job as responsible pet owners to ensure that our pets are happy and healthy, so puppy proofing your house is a constant endeavor to help keep them safe and prevent unwanted problems. B.J. Buffington Education Coordinator

be sure that a treat is safe is if it states that it is made (not just packaged) in the USA. Another alternative is to make your own treats – which explain the smoking stove. Give your mom some time and soon you will have safe and tasty treats.

Wendy Florence

Intake Coordinator

Dear SPSPCA: I used to get to eat all kinds of treats. Then one day, my mom lost her mind and threw most of them out! Now the only time I can be sure I will get a new kind of treat is when there is smoke coming from the stove. What’s the deal? – Treatless Terrier

Dear Treatless: Unfortunately, many dogs have gotten sick or even died from treats made in China. The only way to

Puppy Problem Solver

Doggie Dilemma

Fido thanks you for checking that his treats

are safe to eat!

Trash cans are big

temptations for a bored dog!

Volume 1 Issue 4 Page 3

5724 40th Street

Lubbock, TX 79404

PO Box 1034

Wolfforth, TX 79382

We’re always asking our fosters for updated photographs of the animals they are tending, and some of them are submitting some very attractive images – creating collages, adding text, adding decoration, and more! There are a number of inexpensive (and even free!) applications for both iOS and Android Smartphone platforms that allow users to take photos with their phones, design them creatively through the use of these apps, and upload them to Facebook in a matter of minutes. InstaCollage is one app to try.

If you’re a foster, and you’d like to make your little guy look even more special to potential adopters, consider using one of these apps – you can find them by searching – or, if you don’t have Smartphone access, just

take a digital photo and send it to me at lynda.r@spspca.org and I’ll fix it up and get it posted for you. Once our revised website is up and running, we’ll be posting the pictures there, too! And, as always, any time you have any techie-type ques-tions, send them my way – I’ll do my best to give you an answer. Thanks so much for the work all of you do with our animals. It’s a pleasure to help serve you!

Lynda Reid

Technical Advisor

Phone: 806-445-6317

Email: info@spspca.org

www.spspca.org

From the Technical Desk

The Mission of the South Plains Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is to promote the highest standard of animal welfare, educate pet owners and prevent animal cruelty in the

South Plains.

We are always looking for volunteers! If you would like to join our great group of volunteers, please email volunteer@spspca.org. No matter

how much time, we have a place for you.

Contact Us