Keeping Your Dog Safe in a Cloud of Smoke

Yesterday, my husband (the delightful owner of Salon Riz down the street) called me to report that the air quality index was 343. “That’s NUTS!” I exclaimed because it felt like the appropriate response.* Naturally, I don’t know a jot about air quality indexes. He could have said the index was 4 and it would have carried the same weight. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t know, because I am a scientist who is highly skilled at collecting observable data. Since the city was clouded in a murky brown haze, I deduced that an index of 343 was not awesome for breathing. 

Luckily, everyone in NYC had those fabulous (woof!) masks leftover from the ol’ Pandem to pull out and rock again, and we all resumed heavy reliance on our full range of eye and forehead expressions to communicate with our friends on the street. In addition, New Yorkers fired up their indoor air purifiers. At AGDT, we always keep our high-grade air filters at max, because we have to protect our puppies from illness, so that part was easy.

And then, we started receiving calls from concerned dog folks. What should they do to protect their pup? How could they get their adolescent French bulldog adequate exercise in such a dire situation? How could they tell if their dog was struggling with the air quality index at 343?! And so, we decided to swap out our feature article this week to help you keep your dog properly entertained indoors, and to give you a sense of what to watch for in such a haze.

Remember that your dog needs exercise and mental stimulation regardless of what is going on outside. So, get creative about where you can play and let them run a little. Do you have a closed hallway? Play ball in the hall. What about a staircase? Tossing that ball down the stairs for a game of fetch provides an extra workout (but might also result in you trucking it all the way down for stray balls, so be wary). You can also consider dog daycares, if you have an existing relationship, or even our own day schools for some playtime combined with great training (if we are close by). Don’t venture out for a long walk, but don’t skip potty outings. Your dog has to relieve themselves no matter the weather. Last, if you don’t have a great option for physical exercise, provide extra mental stimulation. This can be done by stuffing your dog’s food into puzzle toys and letting them enjoy themselves. You can also increase mental stimulation by playing any of the training games or practicing the cue proofing techniques you have picked up in your AGDT classes.

Regardless of how your day unfolds, watch your dog for symptoms of respiratory distress. This is especially important if your dog is brachycephalic (if they have a short nose such as a pug or bull dog) or has any kind of respiratory condition. For all dogs, if you notice any of the symptoms below (from a list provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association), call your vet right away to get some professional advice. 

• Coughing or gagging

• Difficulty breathing, including open mouth breathing and increased noise when breathing

• Eye irritation and excessive watering

• Inflammation of throat or mouth

• Nasal discharge

• Asthma-like symptoms

• Increased breathing rate

• Fatigue or weakness

• Disorientation or stumbling

• Reduced appetite and/or thirst

*A random sidebar on “That’s nuts!”: I am obsessed with this phrase since my 5-year-old daughter pointed out with wide-eyed enthusiasm that “it doesn’t mean the same thing as, like, a peanut. Or a walnut. Or a pistachio. Or a pecan. Or even a HAZELNUT.” In addition to being impressed with her extensive mental catalog of nuts, I have now begun picturing every nutty situation with actual nuts subbing in for whatever is nutty, and it amuses me greatly.