That’s a new word for me. August 1st is called “DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs“. If you have a shelter dog and have never celebrated a birthday with them. This is your day. Take them on a special outing or buy them a dog-friendly birthday cake. Do something to make the day special for them. Often, they would be happy just to spend the time with you since they are a small part of our day, but we are the joy of their day. Always happiest when with their people. People always comment on how smart their dogs are. They know when we are going for a walk or ride. They know when it is time for their next meal and demand their feeding. They know if we are not at our best. I always remark that their only job is to watch us daily and keep track of all the minor details such as which shoes you are putting on – work verses play. Maybe it is even the clothing at home verses going out. They gather all that information and then project back to you the enthusiasm or sadness depending on the day. Of course, they would love for you to stay home every day with them.
August 4-10th is international Assistance Dog Week. This is a week to bring awareness to the need for more volunteers to help train dogs for people with disabilities. Many organizations are set up to help you learn to properly socialize and train a puppy to later be given to a person in need. The number of dogs being trained at any one time is over 10,000 but the need is greater even than that. Service dogs are used for obvious physical disabilities that most people recognize but there has become an increased need for those with mental disabilities as well. This has created a demand for more volunteers to help train the puppies. It is important to know that not every puppy that starts training becomes a service dog. There is a high failure rate for multiple different reasons. This is no fault of the dog or trainer. Some dogs just don’t have the attention span or cannot bring their energy level down enough to be successful in that setting.
August 8th is International Cat Day. I am glad they have a day set aside for cats. It seems that they often get overlooked. Almost like they are second-class citizens. Most medications are first formulated for dogs and then adapted to cats off label. It has improved over the last 10 years, but we still seem to have less options for cats than dogs on many therapies. Something to consider from a veterinary medicine perspective is we know that there are more cats than dogs per household in the United States. Yet cats see a veterinarian on average 50% less than dogs. Cats age faster than humans as do dogs. Many cats are indoors only so owners do not see a need for preventative care. Also, cats are good at hiding illness and when sleeping more than usual people assume they are fine. Many studies show that cats have dental issues and arthritis by the time they are 6 years of age if not sooner. Having regular check ups is important with our cats. If people started bringing their cats to veterinarians as often as dogs maybe pharmaceutical companies would discover more products to help them live longer healthier lives. August 22nd is Take Your Cat to the Vet Day so why don’t you start a new tradition of having your cat seen every year by a veterinarian.
August 10th is Spoil Your Dog Day. From my perspective that happens every day for many dogs. I see it in my daily practice as owners talk about the ways their pets bring joy to their lives. Many owners then respond with rewards of treats, petting, walks, snuggles, etc. I wish people would leave out the treats part of rewards more. The weight issues are real with our pets as much as with ourselves. We are killing them with kindness. A recent study remarked that dogs of lean body mass live on the average of 18 months longer than overweight dogs. People with dogs that are of normal weight tell me they get criticized by others for their dogs being skinny. I tell them to respond back that if you can’t feel the ribs right under your fingertips or see an indentation behind the rib cage, then your dog is heavy or obese. We need more awareness of how excess pounds impact the health and mobility of our dogs.
National Check the Chip Day is August 15th. Years ago, the chips would migrate away from the shoulder area and make them difficult to find. Today’s chips have anti-migration properties to help them remain over the shoulder blade area. I think an important part of this day would be updating your information with the microchip company. If you have moved or gotten a new phone number since your dog was microchipped call them or go online to correct the information in the file. This is a crucial step in making sure they can be reunited with you if lost.
- August 1st – DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs
- August 4th – 10th – International Assistance Dog Week
- August 5th – Work Like a Dog Day
- August 8th – International Cat Day
- August 10th – Spoil Your Dog Day
- August 14th – World Lizard Day
- August 15th – National Check the Chip Day
- August 16th – Saint Roch’s Day. Patron saint of dogs
- August 17th – International Homeless Animals’ Day.
- August 17th – National Black Cat Appreciation Day
- August 22nd – National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
- August 23rd – International Blind Dog Day
- August 26th – National Dog Day
I have attached the rest of the celebrations for the month of August in case you would like to honor your Lizard or black cat. It is amazing to me the different scheduled days we have created for our animal/pet friends. It just goes to show how much joy and value they bring to our lives. May you have a wonderful month and get out and enjoy the Iowa State Fair. The tradition continues during the DOGust days of summer!