Ticks become active when the outside temperature reaches 7 degrees Celsius - protect your dog!

Ticks become active at temperatures as low as 7°C. They lie in wait for prey on grasses, leaves, or twigs and bite their host with their mouthparts after landing on it while passing by.

Please protect yourself from ticks with long clothing, vaccination, and tick repellents, as they can transmit serious diseases to both humans and dogs. These include Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE); less frequently, they transmit anaplasmosis or babesiosis.

You should also protect your dog from tick bites with effective methods. And, as a precaution, thoroughly check him for the little "pests" after every walk.

Many veterinary practices recommend year-round tick and flea protection using so-called spot-on treatments to be applied to the dog's fur, chewable tablets or collars .

Please read the respective package inserts carefully . Many of the active ingredients are not harmless; they can cause environmental damage if dogs swim, shower, or bathe in bodies of water. Some of the ingredients are toxic to fish or insects.

More information:

hundherz.ch and BAG (Federal Office of Public Health)

Blue-green algae can be deadly for dogs. Dogs repeatedly die after swallowing or drinking water contaminated with blue-green algae while playing or swimming. Caution is also advised when dealing with algae accumulations washed up on the shore, as swallowing even small amounts can be hazardous to a dog's health. Dogs can also be at risk if they walk through murky water contaminated with blue-green algae and then lick their paws or fur dry.

Blue-green algae are found in all our lakes and rivers. In warm, calm water, they multiply rapidly and rise to the surface. This is when they become a problem – and also when they become visible. Therefore, if the water is cloudy, or if streaks or foam form on the surface, caution is advised , and swimming or allowing dogs near or into the water is not recommended in these areas. Blue-green algae can grow in open water and along the shoreline on aquatic plants or stones.

Blue-green algae can now occur year-round , not just in late summer. Therefore, it's important to be vigilant when walking your dog near water.

Because the blue-green algae situation can change rapidly, it is important that dog owners are able to assess and evaluate the situation. Therefore, the Health and Construction Directorates have developed behavioral recommendations. These are available on the website zh.ch/blaualgen . This website contains all relevant information for both humans and dogs on the topic, as well as behavioral recommendations to prevent poisoning.

Source: Veterinary Office Zurich, June 2023

Source and text excerpts: Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare

From an outside temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, it becomes life-threatening for dogs in parked cars.

As soon as temperatures reach 15 degrees, the same sad issue arises every year: Dogs locked in parked cars are at risk of suffering a fatal heatstroke.

While many current car models already feature reliable stationary climate control with remote monitoring via an app, only the vehicles of electric car manufacturer Tesla are equipped as standard with a special "dog mode," in which passers-by are informed via a clearly visible large display that the car is air-conditioned and the dog owner will be back shortly.

However, a deadly danger remains that is often underestimated: Even at a mild outside temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, the interior of a car parked in the sun can heat up to 50 degrees Celsius or more . Even cars that were just moments ago in the shade can be exposed to direct sunlight after a while, becoming death traps for dogs trapped inside. A window left slightly open offers no cooling whatsoever. Within a very short time, the dog will suffer heatstroke, which unfortunately often proves fatal.

The Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare is fighting this problem with an information campaign. "Unfortunately, every year, starting in spring, dogs are left in parked cars because their owners underestimate the danger. In the worst case, this can last for several hours, but even a short shopping trip or restaurant visit is enough to turn a parked car into a deadly trap," explains Susy Utzinger, Managing Director of the Foundation.

Everyone can help save lives.

In an emergency, any of us can take action; leaving your pet alone in a car in the sun is a criminal offense, constituting animal cruelty. "Dogs in such a life-threatening situation depend on the help of courageous passersby. Report any such observations to the police immediately. In an emergency, it is necessary and justified to break a window or force open a door. This will prevent the animal's agonizing death," says the animal welfare foundation.

More information:

Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare