Pet Tips: A Little Breathing Room

The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park in California has been producing a lot of smoke, blanketing much of Northern Nevada and creating an unhealthy air quality, due to the particulate matter in the air. Recent reports indicate that it may be weeks or months until the fire is controlled and contained. People have the option of wearing breathing masks and avoiding the outdoors, if we so choose; but our pets - not so much! The following pet tips can help your companion animal weather out the the hazy days of fire season!

• Keep pets indoors. If you don't want to go out, or have a sore throat, headache or watery eyes - chances are they do too. Walk them around the inside of the house, or on a treadmill if you have access to one.
  
• Run the AC. It might be a little expensive, but the AC unit helps filter the air coming into your house.
  
• Watch for signs of irritation. The most common health concerns as a side effect of forest fire smoke are inflammation of the eyes and inflammation of the nasal passages. Ocular symptoms include squinting, red coloring or blotching on the whites, discharge coming from the eye and pawing or scratching the eyes or rubbing them on furniture. Respiratory symptoms can include labored, shallow or fast breathing, sneezing, wheezing, abnormal stretching of the neck, nasal discharge, coughing. 
• Watch for signs of smoke inhalation. Smoke inhalation symptoms occur when not enough oxygen reaches the brain, toxins are present in the air or small, fine particulate matter irritating eyes and lungs. Symptoms include: disorientation, fainting,  coma, sleepiness, seizures.
  

Hopefully these pet tips can help you and your pet weather the fire season until we get to the crisp cool air of fall!