April 10 - ASPCA Day
Every year on April 10, the anniversary date of the founding of the ASPCA in 1866, the ASPCA celebrates ASPCA Day and encourages animal lovers of all ages nationwide to GO ORANGE FOR ANIMALS! Going Orange on ASPCA Day is a tribute to the work of the ASPCA and a celebration of compassion and kindness for all living things everywhere. Orange is the official ASPCA color and what better way to celebrate than our love of animals?
April - Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
Certain tick species carry and transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The culprits in North America are the black-legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the western black-legged tick (I. pacificus). Both are smaller than the other ticks found on pets in the United States.
Lyme disease affects animals differently, and many display no clinical signs at all. In dogs, many cases start with limping, lymph node swelling and fever. Other signs include loss of appetite, painful joints and lethargy. Dogs typically don't show signs for two to five months after infection. Antibiotics help but don’t stop the disease.
To help protect your dog:
- Above all, talk with your vet!
- Vaccinate annually against Lyme disease.
- Apply a topical tick control product monthly.
- Brush dogs frequently during tick season
- and conduct regular, thorough tick checks.
April 1st week - Be Kind to Spiders Week
The first week in April is Be Kind to Spiders Week. Spiders, despite their tendency toward creepiness, are beneficial critters that should be treated kindly. Spiders are predators of insects and other occasionally small beasts. Wipe out all the spiders in your home, and you may soon be overrun with crawling, flying, and jumping bugs.
And if that doesn't convince you to be kind to your eight-legged friends, pick up a copy of Charlotte's Web, which concludes this way:
Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.