We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being overeager in hot weather can spell danger, warn experts.
Take these simple precautions, provided by top experts in the field of veterinary medicine to help prevent your pet from overheating.
Visit the Vet
A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm disease if they aren’t on year-round preventive medication. Mosquitoes carry this deadly disease. Also, fleas and ticks are a wide spread problem especially in the summer months. Ask our doctors and staff to recommend a safe flea and tick control program such as Advantix and Frontline.
Providing Plenty of Fluids and Well Shaded Areas
Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not to over exercise your pet especially in extreme temperatures and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
The Warning Signs of Extreme Heat Exposure
The symptoms of overheating in pets include: excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomitting along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.”
Summer Car Safety
Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. When your car is exposed to high summer temperatures, the car can heat up like a furnace even with the windows open. This leaves your pet in a deadly situation. Also, leaving pets unattended in cars in extreme weather is illegal in several states.
Make a Safe Splash
Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool—not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices (as seen at local pool centers) when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.
Screen Test
“During warmer months, the ASPCA sees an increase in injured animals as a result of High Rise Syndrome, which occurs when pets—mostly cats—fall out of windows or doors and are seriously or fatally injured. Pet owners need to know that this is completely preventable if they take simple precautions. Keep unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.
Grooming Advice
Giving your dog a lightweight summer haircut helps prevent overheating. Shave down to a one-inch length, never to the skin, so your dog still has some protection from the sun. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. As far as skin care, be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.
Dog Walking
When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.
Avoid Chemicals
Commonly used flea and tick products, rodenticides (mouse and rat baits), and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. Keep citronella candles, oil products and insect coils out of pets’ reach as well. Call our hospital (856) 740-3700 or Animal Poison Control at 1-888-426-4435 if you suspect your animal has ingested a poisonous substance.
At The Barbeque
Taking Fluffy to a backyard barbeque or party? Remember that the food and drink offered to guests may be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression and comas. Remember that the snacks enjoyed by your human friends should not be a treat for your pet; any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe digestive ailments. Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol.”
Fireworks
Never use fireworks around pets. “Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma to curious pets. Many types of fireworks contain potentially toxic substances such as potassium nitrate, copper, chlorates, arsenic and other heavy metals.”