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Submitted by: Carrie Lollar
Canine collar strangulation injures or kills thousands of dogs every year. Many think about their dog’s collars as an identification holder and a means to put a leash on. So, they are thought of more as a safety net, not as a danger, but think again!
Obviously your dog needs a collar. So what do you do?
Here are some tips to help prevent canine collar strangulation:
1. Surprisingly, the most common cause of canine collar strangulation is when dogs are playing with each other. When playing, it is easy for teeth or paws to get caught in collars, which poses a threat to both dogs. When the dog that is caught tries to break free, they will pull on the other dog’s collar and twist it cutting off the airway. The other dog will panic and try to pull away putting even more tension on the collar and cutting off the airway even further. It is also easy when dogs are chasing each other and playing for collars to get caught on bushes, trees, and other objects in your yard.
2. Don’t restrain your dog on an elevated deck or in the back of an open vehicle. Last summer my friend’s mom rescued a dog that was hanging from his leash and collar on the side of a pickup. Even if you trust your dog not to jump out, you never know when you might need to hit the brakes suddenly or swerve quickly. An option for securing your dog, is to use a harness instead of a collar.
3. Prong and choke collars should only be used when needed on walks and for training purposes. Otherwise remove them and never leave your dog unsupervised with one of these collars on.
4. Always remove collars when you put your dog in a crate. The collar or tags can get caught in the bars and strangle your dog. Your dog is safely confined anyway, so there is no need for a collar.
5. Use a collar designed to break free under pressure. It might not be the most fashionable collar, but personally, I would sacrifice style for my dog’s safety any day. KeepSafe Break-Away-Collar’s are a highly recommended collar. They have a patented safety buckle designed to automatically release if the collar becomes entangled. However, you can still use it with a leash as that safety mechanism is by-passed where the leash hooks on to.
6. You should really consider getting your dog microchipped as a means of identification should their collar come off. This is especially true if your dog is an escape artist. When I first moved with my dog, Anela, she escaped out of the back yard. I had not had a chance yet to get her tags updated, and it was her microchip that allowed the humane society to locate me. It was a life saver!
7. Instead of dangling ID tags that can get caught in things, opt to have the information embroidered on to the collar itself or you can have flat ID tags made as well.
8. Check your dog’s collar routinely to ensure proper fit. You should be able to fit two or three fingers between your dog’s collar and neck. This may seem like common sense, but there are dog owners that never adjust collars and then the dog’s neck starts growing around the collar and they need to be surgically removed, which requires extensive post surgical care.
Canine collars are really supposed to be a positive aide for both you and your dog. The stories are heartbreaking. Please don’t be the next person writing your tragic story on canine collar strangulation.
About the Author: To learn more come visit us at
yourhealthydogs.com
Carrie Lollar is an owner of Your Healthy Dogs, a website dedicated to dog owners who want the best out of life with their fur kid(s).
Source:
isnare.com
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