Summer Saftey Tips For Pets By Your Carmel Vet
Summer time is always welcomed after a harsh winter. Summer means we are outside more and so are our pets. Here are some basic summer safety tips that all pet owners should be aware of:
1. Stay Cool! As a Carmel vet, I see a lot of heat stroke in dogs. Dogs and cats can NOT regulate their body temperature as well as we do. Try to go for walks early in the morning and later in the evening to avoid the mid-day heat. Providing fresh water and shade breaks are also helpful if your schedule won’t allow for this. Stay on the grass to avoid burns from the hot asphalt on their sensitive paw pads. But most importantly do NOT leave your pets in the car! Even with the windows open, a car heats up to dangerous temperatures very quickly in these hot, humid months. The dogs I see as a Carmel vet that are most susceptible to heat stroke are the short muzzled, smush-face dogs like pugs and bulldogs, but also older dogs, obese dogs, and any pet with an underlying health condition. If you need to make some stops, leave your pets at home in the air conditioning.
2. Dogs and Fireworks Don’t Mix! Do NOT take your dog to a firework show. Make sure you put them up if you are lighting fireworks off yourself. Dogs can get severe burns from fireworks and many of the chemicals used in fireworks are toxic to dogs if ingested. But the most common thing we see with fireworks is severe anxiety. Take your dog for a long walk before fireworks or storms to get them tired, allow a comfy place for your dog to hide, use a box fan to drone out the noise, and close the blinds. Do NOT console them as this usually makes it worse each year where you will eventually call me as your Carmel vet requesting sedation for the weekend.
3. Parasites are Pesky for Pets! Mites, ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas are just a few of the pesky insects that love to infect our pets. Keep your dog and cat parasite-free by visiting your Carmel vet for parasite screening as well as monthly parasite prevention.
4. Party Smart with Pets! Everyone loves a backyard cookout, but keep an eye on your pets too. Company will often leave doors and gates open allowing your dog and cat to escape. The delicious food can be too tempting for some pets but many foods can lead to a trip to your Carmel vet for vomiting and diarrhea.
5. Be Wary Around Water! Do NOT leave a dog unsupervised around a pool or lake. Not all dogs are natural swimmers and many will struggle to exit a pool.
Keep your pets safe this summer and avoid a trip to your Carmel vet by following these common sense guidelines that are often forgotten. For more information on our Caring Hands Compassionate Hearts, click on this link to your Carmel Vet.
