pet connection

Fall is traditionally the time that conscious car owners prepare their vehicles for the upcoming cold weather by changing out the antifreeze in their radiators.

This can be a deadly proposition for dogs. Most common antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a colorless and orderless liquid that apparently has a sweet taste to animals. But if ingested, this liquid can be extremely toxic for pets.

In an article published in the Marshall County News Messenger out of Marshall, Texas, Laverne Hughey, of the Humane Society of Harrison County, points out that every year some 90,000 pets and animals die from ingesting antifreeze that had been spilled on the ground or driveway during the replenishing process being done by a home mechanic.

When an animal swallows even a small amount, the poison is absorbed quickly from the digestive tract. Within a very short time — 20 to 30 minutes — the animal will suffer from vomiting, depression, weakness and lack of coordination, depending on the amount swallowed.

Just one small lick is enough to cause irreversible kidney damage, leading to coma and death. Once the ethylene glycol absorption has reached a certain point there is no way to stop the damage it can do. The animals with the best chance of survival are the ones actually seen lapping it up and swallowing it. The pet owner should put the dog or cat in the car and go immediately to a veterinarian. Timing is everything when an animal ingests any kind of poison.

Hughey urges dedicated do-it-yourselfers to be extra careful when handling antifreeze so that no spillage occurs and that any that does is cleaned up immediately. If a dog does get a lick of the bad stuff, an emergency trip to the vet must promptly take place, so that the poison can be handled medically.

A safer idea is to use an antifreeze that is less toxic and tasty to animals. There are some products on the market that use propylene glycol instead of ethylene.

Antifreeze has been available for several years in a less toxic propylene glycol formula which is not likely to kill an animal that ingests it. Several manufacturers now have the product which can be found at supercenters and even in smaller grocery stores. Read the product label to be certain it is the right product. The label will indicate “less toxic.” If still unsure, read the ingredients to confirm that the product contains propylene glycol and not ethylene glycol. The less toxic product will cost about $1.00 more than the toxic brands but is money well spent to save animals’ lives.

While antifreeze containing propylene glycol is significantly less toxic and not as tempting to an animal because of a bitter, unpleasant taste, it may make an animal ill if swallowed. However, a dog, cat or wildlife is not likely to ingest very much as it is so bitter.

Here’s the rest of the article.

If you can’t find the less toxic antifreeze, or if your vehicle requires only the more traditional, toxic, liquid, be certain to take every precaution to protect your pup from this deadly danger.

Let’s do what it takes to ensure we all enjoy a warm, happy and healthy winter.

In response to our recent post about a dog that went for a surprise joyride when he inadvertently kicked the shifter from park into neutral, dedicated DogCars.com reader Patti Skorupa sent us a chilling comment.

It’s part of a letter that she received from a friend that detailed a similar, yet scarier incident.

We had some trauma last week, sorry to say. I double-parked my car to deliver a package to a parishioner. I was only gone for about 30 seconds, but Maisie was so enthusiastic upon my return, she jumped from the back to the driver’s seat, and in doing so she disengaged the emergency brake and shifted the gears. Since we were at the top of a steep street, the car began to roll. I tried to stop the roll, but in doing so, I fell, broke my left foot, and collapsed to the pavement. In absolute horror I watched the car careen down the street, envisioning worst case scenario: people dead, wounded, maimed; tremendous property loss if the car crashed into a house . . . and an injured or dead doggie.

Thank God, the car only went the distance of a two houses, when it swerved to the right, and crashed into a curb-side parked car, with no people inside it. Upshot of the situation, the car our car hit was a tank-like SUV, which suffered almost no damage. Our car was totaled [broken axle], but Maisie suffered no damage and I only suffered a broken foot. Which is small potatoes given what could have happened!

As a longtime lover and breeder of flatcoated retrievers and owner of the Ardenwood News, Patti says that she keeps the note as a reminder to the parents of new pups.

“. . . puppies can and will do what you never expected, and crate training is a must, both at home, and in the car.”

Thanks, Patti, for those words of wisdom.

We’ve probably all done it at some time or another. We leave the car running as we pop into the store for a quick stop of no more than a couple of minutes. No big deal, right?

Well, it was a big deal for a Florida man, Mark Shuttleworth, who did just that while his dog, Oatie, sat patiently in the car waiting for his return.

But this particular time, Oatie decided to take matters into his own paws and jumped into the driver’s seat of the family Volvo and inadvertently shifted the manual stick into neutral. The car then proceeded to roll forward, with Oatie in the driver’s seat, through the parking lot. It eventually crashed into an unoccupied car next parked next to a McDonald’s restaurant.

Here’s how the story was told in the Deland-Deltona Beacon newspaper:

According to DeLand Police records, “‘Oatie’ apparently knocked the car into neutral (stick shift) and went for [a] ride through the parking lot. It ended with ‘Oatie’ crashing into an unoccupied vehicle next to McDonald’s. Neither party wanted a crash report. Minor damage and no one was hurt.”

Sandra Gonzalez of Deltona owns the 1997 GMC hit by Oatie in his driving debut.

“I work at the McDonald’s. Someone came in and said, ‘Sandra, someone hit your car.’ I went running outside to see, and there was no one — just the dog.”

The question she asked police is the same one that occurred to The Beacon.

“I asked the police officer: Is the dog going to get a traffic ticket?” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the canine crash didn’t do much damage to her elderly car; she was glad nobody was hurt.

“It was funny,” she said.

And, no tickets were issued. Officially, Oatie’s driving record is still spotless.

We all know that Volvo’s are dog-friendly vehicles, but this is ridiculous.

Here’s a story that I’m sure many of us can relate to. It’s about losing your car. Not having it stolen, which of course is out of your control, but losing it. As in, not recalling here you left it.

Columnist Peter Kenter, of the Canwest News Service, reveals his embarrassing story about recently losing his car in a strange neighborhood where he had parked to attend a festival.

And while we can all relate to the part about losing our rides, I doubt many of us have had to do so carrying a 10-year old bull terrier over our shoulders.

Peter writes on the Auto Canada website:

In the hour that had elapsed, every parking spot in the subdivision had been taken and, as night fell, I couldn’t even make out by eye where the car was located. I could have probably made a quick tour of the subdivision by foot, but my 10-year-old bull terrier couldn’t walk another step. And so I had to carry him. On my back.

Plodding slowly with 35 kilograms of canine slung across my shoulder, I searched every street in the subdivision, hopelessly trying to activate the car’s horn with the keyless remote I feared was running out of batteries.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. Bravo to Peter for not only being a good Dog Dad, but for revealing his inner idiot to the rest of the world.

We should all be so bold!

The long-awaiting arrival of the newly redesigned 2009 Toyota Matrix was greeted with much fanfare and tail wagging last week. After driving its nearly identical cousin, the Pontiac Vibe, we were anxious to test the canine friendly capabilities of the new Matrix.

And nobody was disappointed.

Despite its compact, sporty design and low-to-the-road clearance, the Matrix manages to do all the right things to satisfy the needs of active, dog-loving families.

Some of its attributes include:

• Fold-flat seats everywhere, including the front passenger seat;
• An easy-to-clean hard surface flooring that is embedded with rubber strips to keep canines and cargo from sliding around;
• Eight, count `em EIGHT cargo hooks in the rear cargo area;
• Low ground clearance for easy in and out for dogs;
• All-wheel drive for easy access to hard-to-get-to areas.

The list continues, but by now you should get the drift that Matrix is a pretty good car for dog lovers.

Check out the full review and paw ratings here.