Summer Care for Pets

In last week’s post on Coping with the Hot Weather, I mentioned making a plain popsicle for the dog or cat. I thought it would be fun to review some tips for keeping pets more comfortable during the hot summer months.  In particular, given that pets have inefficient cooling mechanisms, preventing overheating or illness is a good precaution and can prevent future worry and vet visits.  Here are some suggestions for pets in the summertime:

–Be sure you have ways to keep pets cool — this includes keeping them indoors when it’s hot outside, having plenty of shaded area and making sure water bowls are replenished.  Dogs can only release heat through their mouths and foot pads, so look for signs of lethargy or heat exhaustion.

–Put ice (or have the kids make plain popsicles) in the water bowl to help keep your dog or cat well hydrated and assist in cooling.

–Inspect dog foot pads regularly, and keep in mind that these are vulnerable to burns from hot asphalt.  As one of the few means of cooling the dog off, it’s important that the foot pads are healthy.

–Keep vaccinations and flea treatments up to date — summer is a time when pets are at risk for heart worms and when fleas are rampant.  Up to date vaccinations, regular treatments, and good grooming will help.  Also, remember that pets can get sunburned as well, so a super short cut is not always advised.  Check with the pet groomer.

–Be mindful of how hot a car will get in the summer sun– If you must leave your pet in the car for a brief period of time, be sure the windows are down and the pets have shade and water.  Better yet, find some shady place outside of the car for them to wait.

–Take pets out for exercise in the early morning cool hours — just because it’s hot and summer doesn’t change the fact that dogs want and need exercise.  This is good for pet owners too.

I’d love to hear your suggestions for pets this summer.

shared at Works for Me Wednesday