We are midway through the summer months and it’s toasty in most parts of the country. One thing that I can’t stress enough is while you’re trying to keep yourself cool – remember the family members who live with their coats on!
Hot weather do’s and dont’s
Do:
Keep your pets inside the house, with plenty of water. If your pets are outside, make sure they have plenty of shade and water available. Get a “kiddy pool” and let your dogs splash and play in it.
The best place for your pets to be is inside with you!
Make sure that your pets have fresh, cool water at all times. This should be a rule no matter what the temperature outside.
If you’re at work – ask a friend to stop by and check on them during the day. If you can’t find a friend or relative see if you can bring your dog to work for the days with really high temperatures. More companies are becoming “dog friendly” and you might start a trend.
Don’t:
Don’t take your pet in the car with you. On an 85 degree day a car’s interior temperature can reach 120 degrees in only 20 minutes – even with the windows cracked open.
Don’t leave pets unattended outside when it’s too hot – bring pets inside. Go for walks or play fetch in the cool evening and morning hours, not during the heat of the day.
Don’t take your dog running on hot days. If you want to brave the heat that’s one thing, but remember your dog has a coat on and is going to get heated a lot quicker that you will. It’s better to wait for a more comfortable temperature.
Just a few signs of heat exhaustion:
Dogs: heavy panting, hyperventilation (deep breathing), increased salivation early then dry gums as the heat prostration progresses, weakness, confusion or inattention, vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes bleeding.
Cats: rapid panting, bright red tongue, dark red gums or pale gums, salivating (thick), weakness, anxiety, dizziness, muscle tremors, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the nose, coma
If anyone has any great suggestions on how to keep our pets cool – let’s hear from you!
I soak bandannas in cold water and tie it around their neck. I also have a kiddy pool and play with the hose with them. My three year old Shar Pei likes to bite at the water coming from the hose. I also have wet them down if they won’t go in the pool.