The arrival of summer brings long walks in the open air, turns in the woods or on the lake, or perhaps simply more time spent in the garden or in the parks. Idyllic situations for dogs and cats, which can enjoy fresh air and the smells of nature, but that they can also present risks.
And if it is true that in Italy all in all contains (for comparison, look for this article by Texas A&M University which lists all the risks of the meeting between a pet and a poisonous snake, citing often lethal species), it does not mean that they are absent: as always when dealing with nature, you have to be prudent and remind us that in certain places we are only guests, and it is essential to keep our eyes open to avoid problems. domestic.
Let’s start with the classics: the snakes. In Italy there is only one poisonous snake, viperwhich are actually five different snakes, all belonging to the genre Viper: V. Aspis (the common viper), V. Ammodytes (the viper from the horn), V. Berus (the marassus or viper of water), V. Ursinii (the viper of Orsini) e V. Walser (The Viper of the Walser, the rarest). Their bite is poisonous, but very rarely fatal, and dangerous only for weak or allergic children and subjects. In the case of dogs and cats, the situation is slightly more serious: small pets are more at risk, and in case of bite the thing to do is bring the animal to the veterinarian.
Tricks. The point is that the bites are, or should be, extremely rare: Vipers are shy animals and want to escape or hide in front of humans (and their pets). They only attack if they can’t do anything else. The good news is that, to avoid putting our pets in dangerous situations, a few simple tricks are enough.
First of all prevent your dog from showing your nose anywhere (ideally, keep it Always on a leasheven where it is not mandatory!), And in particular in piles of rocks or leaves, in the undergrowth and between the bushes. Always turn with a stickor in any case make noise by beating on the ground where you think a snake can be hidden. And never attack them! Better to leave them in peace and wait for them to move away. Also because the risk of confusing a viper with another harmless snake (the most frequent case is that of the Biaco) is high, especially if you are not experts.
Insects and other arthropods. If the meeting with a snake is a rare and almost never dangerous event, it is easier to have problems with smaller animals. Bees, wasps and hornets They are a classic example: a sting in the wrong place (for example in the mouth), or an allergy to their puncture, can create even serious damage to dogs and cats. It is true that we are not talking about predators: as always in these cases, the best thing is not to disturb these insects, which will reward you with as much indifference.
Instead, you have to pay more attention to ticks and fleas: the former can convey even serious diseases, the latter can be Intestinal parasites carrier (in addition to causing an annoying itch). To the list you can also add the phlebotomes or pappataci, the main carriers of the leishmaniasisand also the mosquitoes, which in some cases can transmit the fictions.
However, it must be said that for all these arthropods there are specific protections, ranging from collars appropriate (or pipettes, if you prefer) to vaccines (The one against Leishmaniosis in particular is fundamental, especially if you live in sea areas or think of going on vacation): prevention is the best way to enjoy the walks (or the garden) in peace.
Is there other? There are, potentially, other dangerous encounters that can be done during a walk – and we are not talking about wolves, bears or wild boars but of much smaller beasts. The Italian scorpionfor example, almost never punishes e Inject a very weak poisonbut in the very rare cases in which it happens it can cause Pain and swelling in a dog or cat. The notorious violin spider It potentially has a dangerous bite, but the probability that a pet comes into contact with it is very low. If a dog bites a common toad (Bufo bufo) could drool and have convulsions, but even here, the event is very rare and it is not difficult to prevent it from happening.
Unsuspected. We have one last tip: if you take your dog around for meadows or fields (or if you let your cat go free), keep your eyes open throughout the summer, because there is always the risk that running are “skewered” by the so -called forasacchi, a generic name that indicates the dried ears of some graminaceousness (in particular of the genre Bromus). Their particular conformation, in fact, meant that they can be checked in the animal’s meat and cause infections; Still worse happens when a forasacco enters the ear or nose of a dog or cat: in that case there is to be immediately brought the animal to the vet, which also risks a surgical operation.
After each walk, carefully inspect the body of dogs and cats!
