Creature Comforts Pet Services, LLC

Compassionate care for your friend

Pet First Aid

End of our Dog Days of Summer Reminders

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This month on Aug 1st is DOGust! The universal birthday for shelter and

rescue dogs whose actual birthdates are unknown, so today is a wondeRUFFul

opportunity to celebrate every rescue dog and the second chances they receive through

adoption.

Ways to celebrate:

  • Treat your dog to an extra walk or special toy.
  • Donate supplies to a local shelter.
  • Volunteer your time.
  • Consider fostering or adopting.
  • Learn pet first aid so you are prepared to protect your best friend.

Every rescued dog deserves not only love—but a family prepared to keep them safe.

❤️ Happy Birthday to every shelter dog! 

Itchy Skin

Is your pet scratching more than usual? August is Itchy Pet Awareness

Month, making it the perfect time to pay attention to your pets skin’s and coat.

Excessive scratching, licking, chewing, or rubbing may be signs of:

✔ Allergies

✔ Fleas or mites

✔ Skin infections

✔ Dry skin

✔ Food sensitivities

Don’t ignore persistent itching—it can quickly lead to painful skin infections and hot

spots. Regular grooming, parasite prevention, quality nutrition, and veterinary care all

help keep skin healthy.

Scratching is a symptom—not a diagnosis. If the itching continues, schedule

veterinary examination.

Heat

If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws! Summer heat doesn’t

just affect people—it can quickly become dangerous for pets.

Protect your furry family members by:

  • Walking early morning or after sunset
  • Testing pavement with the back of your hand for 7 seconds
  • Providing plenty of fresh water
  • Taking frequent shade breaks
  • Never leaving pets in parked vehicles—even with windows cracked

Watch for signs of heat stress:

⚠ Excessive panting

⚠ Weakness

⚠ Bright red gums

⚠ Vomiting

⚠ Collapse

Heatstroke is a medical emergency. When in doubt, cool first with cool (not ice-cold)

water and head to your veterinarian immediately. 

Snake Safety

While not a problem right here without little garter snakes, if you travel… Warm weather means snakes are active! Whether hiking, camping, or simply enjoying the outdoors, pets can accidentally encounter snakes.

Help reduce the risk:

  • Keep dogs leashed on trails.
  • Stay on marked paths.
  • Avoid tall grass and rock piles.
  • Keep your yard trimmed and free of debris.
  • Watch where curious noses investigate.

If your pet is bitten:

❌ Don’t cut the wound.

❌ Don’t try to suck out venom.

❌ Don’t apply a tourniquet.

❌ Don’t attempt to capture the snake.

✅ Keep your pet as calm and quiet as possible.

✅ Carry them if you can.

✅ Seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

Quick action can save a life. 

June Highlights the Importance of Pet Safety, Preparedness & Compassion for Animals

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I want to encourage pet lovers to use June’s pet-related observances as a reminder that preparedness can save lives.

From honoring devoted Dog Dads and appreciating veterinary professionals to encouraging shelter cat adoption, June offers multiple opportunities to focus on the health, safety, and well-being of companion animals.

National Dog Dad’s Day – June 14

National Dog Dad’s Day celebrates the special bond between dogs and the people who love and care for them. Pet safety experts encourage Dog Dads to go beyond treats and toys by learning essential life-saving skills such as recognizing heatstroke, choking, poisoning, and how to safely transport an injured pet.

Summer months can bring increased risks for pets due to rising temperatures, travel, outdoor activities, and backyard gatherings.

Veterinary Appreciation Day – June 18

Veterinary Appreciation Day recognizes the veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants, receptionists, and support teams who dedicate themselves to animal health.

Emergency preparedness works hand-in-hand with veterinary medicine.

Pet First Aid is never intended to replace veterinary care. Its purpose is to help pet parents recognize emergencies sooner, provide safe temporary care, and seek veterinary attention quickly.

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

June is also Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to cats in need.

New adopters are encouraged to create a safe home and take simple preparedness measures — such as keeping emergency contacts accessible, recognizing signs of distress, having pet-safe first-aid supplies available, and knowing when immediate veterinary care is needed can make a difference during an emergency.

Creature Comforts Pet Services offers Pet CPCR and First Aid classes. Please contact me for more information.

Back to School Safety Tips 

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As the school year begins, new routines can affect pets, too! Keep them happy and safe with these simple tips:

Around the Bus & Carpool Lane

  • Always keep dogs on leash near school buses and drop-off zones.
  • Teach children never to let pets dart out the door when buses arrive.
  • Remind bus drivers and carpoolers that pets may be nearby.

Managing New Routines

  • Pets may feel anxious when kids suddenly disappear during the day.
  • Ease transitions with extra morning walks and engaging toys while you’re gone.
  • Stick to a consistent feeding and exercise schedule.

Watch for School Supplies

  • Keep backpacks, lunchboxes, crayons, and glue sticks out of reach—many items can be harmful if chewed or swallowed.
  • Remind kids to put away snacks (especially grapes, raisins, chocolate, and sugar-free gum).

After-School Greetings

  • Pets may get overexcited when kids return home.
  • Encourage calm greetings: have kids kneel to pet the dog or wait until paws are on the ground.

Teach & Remind Kids

  • Never tease pets with backpacks, bikes, or lunchboxes.
  • Walk, don’t run, near pets to avoid startling them.
  • Always ask an adult before giving pets food or treats.

January 2nd is National Pet Travel Safety Day,

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but it is also a great time to assess and upgrade best practices for transporting your dog or cat safely.  Whether you’re heading to the vet or groomer, off to the park, or hitting the road for vacation, travel safely.  Thousands of animals get injured and die in car accidents every year.  During a collision, a 50-lb. dog riding in a 30-mph car will experience 1,500 lbs. of force if thrown from the vehicle. Newton’s first law of motion states, “a body in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force,” so even after brakes are applied, an unrestrained pet will continue 30, 40, 50 mph or more until something stops him. Sadly, what stops him may be the dashboard, seat back, or windshield, all of which can cause devastating injury. 

If the pet survives the accident but is not restrained, he may escape through a window or door, broken or opened by the impact, only to end up being hit by an on-coming vehicle.  According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), animals moving around in cars are the third worst distraction to drivers, ranking behind children and cell phones.  Additionally, if you are injured in an accident, your protective Chihuahua, Poodle or Rottweiler might prevent paramedics from quickly offering aid out of fear of being bitten, so Animal Control may first need to be called to confine your pet. Their protectiveness may delay emergency personnel from providing you much-needed medical assistance, so restraining your pets in motor vehicles is a win-win.

Dangerous Dough Ornaments & Pets

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This favorite holiday tradition can prove deadly to pets!   

Three simple ingredients:  

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 cup water 

can be mixed, flattened, and shaped into the doggone cutest tree ornaments, but if ingested by the family dog, joy can turn tragic due to the abundance of salt in the recipe!  Additional complications can arise from the paint and glitter that make the design sparkle, and…the hook the ornament hangs from!  Cats too can suffer from eating bread dough ornaments, yet they are less likely to consume the decoration.  

Salt toxicity, also known as hypernatremia, can result in the death of your pet!  Signs include:

  • Vomiting and/or diarrhea
  • Lack of coordination, tremors, seizures
  • Excessive thirst and urination
  • Decreased appetite
  • Lethargy or collapse

If creating dough ornaments is a family tradition, take extra measures to hang them high on the tree out of paws reach and secure the tree to the ceiling so that it cannot topple down.  If your pet consumes a dough ornament, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately for life-saving measures.  

Although labeled non-toxic, non-allergenic, and even non-irritating, it is important to note that children’s Playdoh is made from the same three ingredients:  water, salt, and flour, so if ingested by pets, the same ill effects can result. Some homemade playdough recipes also contain tartaric acid (potassium bitartrate ), the deadly toxin also found in grapes.  Be aware of doggie dangers and keep them out of paws reach by signing up for a Pet First Aid Class today by contacting Creature Comforts Pet Services at creaturecomfortspetsit@gmail.com

Pets Safety Tips and your Holiday Tree

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Whether artificial or real, you must look out for your pets when decorating for the holidays. To keep dogs and cats safe, here are four pet safety tips concerning the holiday tree:

1) Male dogs and cats pee on trees.  It is that simple, so when their pee station moves indoors, it becomes confusing when you say, “No!”  Consider leaving your tree undecorated for a day or two, teaching pets to stay away before you decorate. Also, choose the location wisely.  Do not place your tree in front of the window Fido watches for the mailman or the windowsill kitty suns herself daily.  To keep pets away, a short white picket fence around the tree may look festive, or giving them their own new and interesting thing to check out may do the trick. 

2) To further dog or catproof your tree, try bitter-scented sprays or position oranges, lemons, or grapefruit underneath, but only if you know these citrus scents are unappealing to your pet.  Attaching the tree, with an invisible fishing line, to a cup hook in your ceiling, could prevent it from falling over should your cat decide to use it as a jungle gym.  Of course, never place candles on the tree and tape down light cords so that pets cannot chew or get caught in them, but always supervise when any fixtures are plugged in. 

3) Never tempt pets by hanging dog biscuits, popcorn garlands, candy canes, or other food items on your tree.  Also, take care with scented packages (i.e. food, soaps, potpourri) placed underneath as well as ribbons, tinsel, ornament hooks, and string.  Any of these objects inside your dog or cat can be CAT-astrophic!  

4) Real trees require water, so cover the tree water securely with foil, plastic wrap, or a plastic lid with an “X” cut through (where the trunk goes).  The oils seeping into the water from the tree are toxic!  Additionally, cut trunks are often coated with preservatives and pesticides, so your pet will get sick and need quick veterinary care if he drinks tree water!  Pine and fir needles are sharp and can cause digestive upsets, so pick up any needles that drop before your pet ingests them or gets them caught in a paw or fur. Fake needles are not safe either if consumed, so monitor pets around ALL holiday decor.  

When you have a dog or cat, you have a furry toddler for their lifetime, so being mindful of potential problems and keeping dangers out of paws and claws reach can keep ‘the merry’ in your holiday season. Make it a New Year’s resolution to sign up for a pet first aid class by contacting Theresa at Creature Comforts or check out www.creature-comforts-pets.com  for 2025 classes!