Clocks Fall Back to Standard Time Sunday Morning: Are You & Your Pets Prepared? And a Call for Photos for K-9 Epilepsy Awareness

This Sunday, clocks in many parts of the United States back one hour to Standard Time at 2AM. So don't be surprised if your furbaby gets you up an hour early starting Monday! Although our mechanical clocks say it's one time, their internal clocks will say another until it all evens out after a few days! So much for an extra hour of sleep!

Each year, I  like to recap some helpful safety tips we should do as pet parents, when we turn back the clocks:

If your pets are on specifically timed medications, i.e. seizure meds (like our boy Gibson), at least for the first day of the new time change, stagger the dosage times. If your pet typically takes his medications at 7 AM and 7 PM, for the first day of DST, give the AM dosage at the new fall-back time of 6:30 (true time would be 7:30, a half hour later than usual), and give the 7 PM dosage at 6:30 (true time would be 7:30). That way, while their internal clock says it's a bit late, their system can adjust to the "new" time and won't be going too long without the meds, thus risk upsetting the internal balance. Getting back on schedule is very quick, but I like to ease my boy in and keep those seizure meds as close to on-time (according to Gibson's clock) as possible.

Time to update for Fall

It's also a great time to remember to check your emergency pet window clings. (You can order a free Pet Safety Pack from the ASPCA online, which includes a window cling and Poison Control Center magnet. ADT also offers free Pet Alert Window Clings that you can order online as well as a list of fire departments in your area that carries them. When checking your window cling, is it still afixed to the window? Is it legible? Did the sun fade the info? Are the number of pets and location still accurate? This is critical information for the Fire Department emergency personnel that could save your pet's life in case of a fire. 

Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  

Update your pet's emergency first aid kit.    

As with people, this is also the perfect time to review your pet's meds and be sure they are all up-to-date. Toss away any that are expired.  

Check your supply of cold/snow season items. Be sure you have pet-friendly sidewalk ice dissolvers (not salt), natural paw de-icers (we use a nice oil- and lanolin-based protectant for the Sibes' paws before they go out into the snow and ice to prevent balling in between the paws and on leg and underbelly fur), clean towels for drying them off or removing ice balls from longer fur, and an outdoor dish that can withstand the cold and not freeze up their outdoor source of water. 

Inspect all bedding, crates, blankets, doghouses, etc. to be sure they are all clean, functional, and protective. (Stop by the AKC website and for tips on winterizing for your pets.) 

Pets will seek out shelters when outside. Do a yard/deck check. Be sure all leftover summer pool chemicals, BBQ gas tanks, pesticides, and sharp tools have been put away from their reach. Winter 'tis the season for outdoor hot tubs, so do a check to be sure the chemicals and fragrances are stored out of the pet areas. These areas may be OK where they are located in the summer, but in the winter pets can climb and dig through snow, giving them a different reach. So please, use a critical eye when winterizing their areas. 

Update your home and cell phones with your vet, emergency vet clinic, and Poison Control Center numbers. Also be sure they are posted by your phone and are accurate.

 Daylight Saving Time Start & End Date Chart

Twice a year we change our clocks: once for Daylight Saving Time in the spring and back to Standard Time in the late Autumn. These times provide us with a great opportunity to perform the-above mentioned simple, life-saving tasks twice-a-year to ensure that our pets will be safe. 

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Call for Photos!  

In recognition of November being Epilepsy Awareness Month, and to help spread awareness of Canine Epilepsy, please join my Epi-boy, Gibson, and I in a very special worldwide slideshow video featuring Epi-dogs who have/had this affliction. Please Email me your pics at FiveSibes(at)gmail(dot)com or post on the FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews Facebook page with your Epi-pet's name, state/country, a little about how long your pet has had Epilepsy. Let's all join paws to be "Gib Strong" and help spread the word about Canine Epilepsy. 

 

Thank you to today's Pet Bloggers Blog Hop hosts: Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Confessions of the Plume! Please be sure to visit their blogs and hop along to some others here as well!