Hiking with Your Dog Hydration Footing First Aid Control
Hydration Carry a water bottle in dog pack, frozen water on hot days. A nalogen bottle cap is useful to allow a dog to sip water; dogs prefer frequent small drinks. Do not let your dog drink ground water; use a filter on extended hikes to replenish supplies. Have your dog vaccinated for Giardia Look for signs of heat stroke in summer - Signs of heat exhaustion include: Heavy panting, hyperventilation (deep breathing) Increased salivation early then dry gums as the heat prostration progresses Weakness, confusion or inattention Vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes bleeding As the condition progresses towards heat prostration or heat stroke there may be obvious paleness or graying to the gums, shallowing of the breathing efforts, and eventually slowed or absent breathing efforts, vomiting and diarrhea that may be bloody, and finally seizures or coma. Treatment: If the dog should show signs of serious distress from the heat it is best to cool him/her immediately with cool or tepid water rather than really cold water. If ice packs are available they can be applied to areas where circulation is very good, such as the armpits & neck. Blowing air over her with a fan as you cool her off with water can be helpful. As soon as she seems to be gaining some comfort proceed to your vet's. Dogs who suffer from heat stroke can develop delayed complications that are really serious, including death, if they are not properly monitored and cared for. Winter hiking: Your dog may need a sweater or jacket for extended outings. If your dog will wear booties, they are good protection from ice and rocks. Carry a “space” blanket to warm your dog if he gets wet and/or chilled. Hydrogen hand warmers can also be helpful to warm your dog; just don’t let him/her eat them. Footing Types of terrain: ice/snow, dirt, mud, rocks, gravel, streams, rivers, parking lots Steep terrain: risk of falls, injuries and cuts on foot pads Be aware that your dog may have problems on terrain which is unfamiliar. Equipment: Booties, Oil for pads, Climbing rope, Harness Remember that if you overextend your dog’s ability to negotiate a trail, he may get injured or you may have to carry him! Try to gradually work up to longer and more difficult hikes to increase your dog’s physical stamina and confidence. First Aid Be prepared to treat injuries. A Leatherman is a good tool to have to remove splinters and porcupine quills Wound bandages - 3x5 Gauze tape/duct tape A roll of heavy wrap tape for use in splints. Comes in red/blue Sedation medication Antibiotic ointment Hydrocortisone cream Handy wipes An emergency “space” blanket Foot oil/ointment Several lengths of web strapping Hydration tablets Salt tablets See: K-9 First Aid Kit™ at RuffWear.com
Control NEVER let your dog off leash while hiking. Trails are designed for human safety and for people to stay on them; dogs do not get that and will run off the trail at the slightest smell or sound. I can think of a number of areas that this could result in the death of a dog from falls. Secondly, a lot of public areas in America are already restricted to dogs because of bad experiences the public has had with dogs; please do not add to the problem. Carry several leads: a six foot one, a 20-30ft cloth lead and optionally, a retractable one. Be careful of retractable leads, they tend to get tangled around people, trees, and other dogs (they are actually precluded from dog show arenas.) A long rope can double as a lead and a climbing aide. Try not to have your dog on a collar (use that for ID tags); instead use a harness this will save his neck and throat from injury. A harness can also be used to assist your dog over steep areas or to lower your dog if necessary. References: White Mountain National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain/ Maps: http://www.usgs.gov/ Appalachian Mountain Club http://www.amc-nh.org/
The Wanalancet conservation area provides maps and trails off of rt 113 in Tamworth. See: http://www.wodc.org
Backpacking Doggy Style: Basics for Hiking with Dogs
