How You Can Keep Your Pet Cool and Calm as the Temperatures Rise
As summer nears, the weather heats up, it is important to know that pets need some help to beat the heat and enjoy a healthy and happy summer. In most areas of the country, summer is associated with good weather and good times, but for pets, summers can present real dangers. Summer activities such as traveling and barbecues carry risks. However, there are simple pet safety tips of protecting your pet and ensuring that it also enjoys its summer.
The first thing to do is to visit a vet. By so doing, you will ensure that your pet has undergone all the necessary vaccinations and medications. Every year during early spring, all pets should be given a blood test. This will help to determine whether the pet has heartworms or not, and in case it has, it is treated. Heartworms are deadly parasites transmitted through mosquito bites from other infected pets. It advisable that cats and dogs be vaccinated every month against these parasites. It is during summertime that ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and other parasites come out in full force. You should also try to keep your pet groomed during summer. By so doing, you will be able to easily and quickly find potential parasites.
The second pet safety tip is to keep your pet cool. Cats and dogs get dehydrated quickly, and so you should give them a lot of water when temperatures outside are high. Also ensure that your pet has a shady place to shelter in case the sun burns too much. Do not let your pet lie on hot asphalt when temperatures are high. When your pet’s body lies close to the ground, it can heat up quickly resulting in the burning of sensitive paw pads. Also, adjust the routine of exercising with your pet. Take your pet for exercise or play in the evening or very early in the morning. This applies mostly if your pet accompanies you during jogging. Pick an exercising route that has enough shady areas where your dog can rest.
You can allow your pet to wade off in a children’s pool if there is one nearby. As you splash water on your pet, do it carefully and safely. As a pet safety tip, do not leave your pet near a pool without someone looking after it. Some might be able to swim, while some cannot. After swimming, you should rinse your dog to remove salt or chlorine from its fur. If possible do not allow your dog to drink pool water because this water contains chlorine and other substances that might cause stomach upsets. Teach your pet to locate the pool steps and to climb out by use of a pet ramp. Improve its safety by making it wear a life vest.
In the southeastern part of the US, summertime means Hurricane Season. This is a good time to get your pet microchipped or get them a tag and collar in case they are separated from your home. If your pet says mostly outside, it is best to bring him or her in when the storms get close. This would include dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, rodents, etc. Even if the rain does not fall on your home, the winds alone can put your pet in grave danger. Animals are sensitive to weather so if it senses dangerous activity, it may run (or fly) away to find a safer place. If your pet is always outside, you can put him or her in the garage (if you have one), or bathe him or her and bring them inside the living area of your home. If for some reason you are not home when a storm hits, make prior arrangements with a neighbor to make sure your pets are in a safe place until your return.
During summer there tend to be more ceremonies that involve fireworks. Fireworks are not friendly to pets. When you go for these fireworks, leave your pet behind. Do not ignite fireworks when pets are around. When some pets are exposed to lighted fireworks they might suffer from trauma due to curiosity and the sheer noise of them. Pets don’t understand that the loud noise is for “fun”; they heard danger and will likely run and hide. Statistics show that Independence Day is the holiday when the most pets abandon their homes and end up lost. That is another important reason to make sure they are tagged or microchipped. Unused fireworks are equally dangerous because they contain toxic substances like copper, arsenic, chlorates and other heavy metals. These will negatively affect the health of your pet if they chew any piece of them.
These pet safety tips will ensure that your pet is safe during the wild months of summer. To help your pet better cope with summer stresses, pick up our guide at the top right of this page titled “10 Ways Your Pet Can Become Stressed and What You Can Do About It.”
