Summer Pet Advice

How you can get your puss, pooch or other loving animal adjusted for the season

If the weather forecasts are to be believed, it’s gonna be a hot one this year and we might find occasions when the mercury could rise higher than usual. Taking care of yourself is one thing, but your pets have a different level of maintenance worth considering. Here are a few tips to keep them healthy and happy this summer.

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● Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot or humid outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.

● Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

● Do not leave pets unsupervised around water. Consider a life vest and rinse your pets off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from their fur. Avoid allowing pets from drinking treated or salt water.

● Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.

● Asphalt gets extremely hot, if you can walk on it barefoot, it is not safe for your pets to walk or lie on. Being so close to the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.

● Commonly used rodenticides and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. Keep citronella candles, tiki torch products and insect coils of out pets’ reach as well.

Courtesy ASPCA

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