In today's issue:

-Meet our adoptable dog of the day

-Learn about our Shelter of the Week

-Enjoy a laugh with our dog meme of the day

-Get great information in our featured article

-Take our action of the week

-Check out our family photo of the day

Join our Facebook group - Post Your Pooch!

Vintage Pet Rescue is a Rhode Island-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that functions as a specialized retirement home, sanctuary, and hospice facility for senior, geriatric, and special-needs dogs. Founded in 2017 by Kristen and Marc Peralta, the organization pulls older dogs primarily from high-kill or crowded shelters across the eastern United States to give them a safe, loving, and comfortable place to live out their final months or years.

What Makes Vintage Pet Rescue Special

• A True Cage-Free Home Environment: Unlike traditional shelters with concrete kennels and metal bars, Vintage Pet Rescue is designed to look and feel like a real home. The dogs roam free, lounge on couches, sleep in cozy beds, and experience a family-like atmosphere that drastically reduces shelter stress.
• Specialized Hospice and Medical Care: Geriatric and hospice dogs often arrive with complex medical needs, chronic illnesses, or mobility issues. The rescue provides dedicated, round-the-clock medical attention, specialized medications, physical support, and pain management to ensure a high quality of life.
• Dual Mission of Sanctuary and Adoption: While many dogs spend their golden years permanently at the sanctuary, VPR also adopts out senior dogs to qualified local families in the New England area (RI, MA, CT) and helps owners who can no longer care for their aging pets.

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Why Your Dog’s Forehead Feels Hot (and When to Worry)

You’re gently petting your fur baby behind the ears when you notice it: their forehead feels surprisingly warm. Before you panic, take a deep breath. A warm forehead is actually very common in dogs, and most of the time, it’s completely natural.

Dogs Naturally Run Hotter Than Us

The most common reason your pup’s forehead feels hot is simple biology. While a human’s normal body temperature hovers around 98.6°F, a healthy dog’s normal body temperature ranges between 101°F and 102.5°F. Because their baseline temperature is higher than yours, your dog will almost always feel warm to the touch, especially on areas with thin fur like their belly, ears, and forehead.

The Post-Nap Bake

Did your dog just wake up from a glorious sunbeam snooze or a curl-up under a heavy blanket? Dogs radiate heat out through their skin to regulate their body temperature. After snuggle time or a long nap, heat gets trapped in their fur and skin, making their head feel like a cozy little toaster. Give them 15 to 20 minutes to walk around and cool down. You’ll usually notice their skin temperature returning to normal.

Post-Play Cooldown

If you just finished a game of fetch or a walk around the neighborhood, your dog's cardiovascular system is working overtime to shed excess heat. Unlike humans, who sweat through their skin, dogs primarily cool down by panting and vasodilation (expanding blood vessels near the skin's surface to release heat). This extra blood flow to the head and ears can make their forehead feel extra warm right after exercise.

Stress or Excitement

Just like our faces might flush when we’re nervous or excited, a dog’s body temperature can briefly spike due to adrenaline. Whether it's the thrill of you coming home from work or the stress of hearing thunder outside, emotional shifts cause temporary temperature surges.

How to Check for an Actual Fever

While a warm head is usually harmless, dogs can get fevers (temperatures over 103°F). The feel of a forehead or nose isn't a reliable thermometer. Instead of relying on skin temperature alone, look for behavioral red flags:

• Lethargy: Are they unusually sluggish, hiding, or refusing to get up?
• Loss of Appetite: Are they skipping meals or turning down favorite treats?
• Glassy or Red Eyes: Do their eyes look tired, watery, or bloodshot?
• Shivering or Panting: Are they panting excessively without recent exertion?
• Warm, Red Gums: Check their mouth—dry, hot, or bright red gums often accompany a high fever.

The Gold Standard Check: The only 100% accurate way to check a dog's temperature is with a digital pet rectal thermometer (or a specialized ear thermometer made for dogs).

What to Do Next

If your dog feels warm after a nap or a run, offer them a fresh bowl of cool water, ensure they are in a well-ventilated room, and let them rest.

However, if their temperature exceeds 103°F, or if the warmth is paired with vomiting, lethargy, coughing, or loss of appetite, contact your veterinarian right away. Temperatures above 106°F are considered a medical emergency.

Dog Food and Supplement Recalls

Here are the recent recalls and advisories:

• FI - Pet Supplements: Potential Salmonella Contamination
• Northwest Naturals - Chicken Recipe: Potential Salmonella and/or Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination
• Fromm - Wet Canned Dog Food: Potential Metal Contamination
• Oma's Pride - Canine Food: Contaminated with Salmonella

Want to help find lost pets?

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We want to feature your pup!

We want to share your pup with our pack. Email us your favorite doggy pic or video with your pup’s name, and we'll try to feature it as a family photo in one of our upcoming newsletters or on our Facebook page.

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