Hi Sweet Friends,
One of the many things I love about my readers is your deep dedication to animals.
Summer is such a fabulous time to get outdoors with our furry companions. But as temperatures rise, it’s important to keep our pets safe.
That’s why I teamed up with Adopt-a-Pet.com to share their amazing tips. You may already know this stuff, but take a moment for a quick refresher anyway. Your fur-kids’ lives could depend on it. And please pass this blog onto a friend who might need a refresher too.
6 must-have pet safety tips for a healthy & happy summer!
1. Don’t leave your pet in the car.
Confinement in a car or any other poorly ventilated enclosure can be fatal to your dog or other pet. One study reports that when the outside temperature is just 78°F, a closed car will reach 90°F in five min, and 110°F in 25 min. It only takes 15 min for an animal to get heat stroke and die in a hot car! But that doesn’t mean 14 min is safe — leaving an animal in a hot car for any amount of time is dangerous. Shade and even four cracked open windows don’t make a difference (results of car temperature testing here). When I see this, I leave a note for the owner and call the police if needed. I go into stores and ask the managers to make an announcement over the loudspeaker. Whatever it takes, because it’s that serious. We all love taking our pets with us wherever we go, but unless you’re bringing them with you when you leave your cool car, let them watch cartoons at home.
2. Be smart about exercising with your pup.
Although we look forward to taking a walk, going for a run and hitting the trails with our exercise buddies, it’s best to avoid these activities with your dog during hot days or warm, humid nights. The best time to exercise is either early in the morning before sunrise or late in the evening after the sun goes down. Know your dog’s fitness level, and let them set the pace. If they start panting excessively or suddenly seem drained, it’s time for a break. Cool down in the shade, offer them water to drink, pour tepid (not cold) water on their paws or, if possible, have some fun in the sprinkler or with the hose.
3. Understand how to protect your pet from heatstroke.
Heatstroke develops rapidly and is often associated with exposure to high temperatures, humidity and poor ventilation. Symptoms include panting, a staring or anxious expression, failure to respond to commands, warm, dry skin, extremely high temperature, dehydration, rapid heartbeat and collapse. Very young and older pets tend to be more susceptible. Pets more vulnerable to heat stress include those who recently moved from cool to warmer climates, those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, or those with a history of heat stress. Rabbits are often smart enough to lie next to a frozen water bottle to stay cool, but other pets such as cats and dogs should be kept in as cool an area as possible. With any form of heat stress, prompt veterinary attention is important to deal with potential complications, including death.
4. Sunburn is serious for animals too.
Pets who have recently received short haircuts may become sunburn victims and are as susceptible to heat stress as dogs who haven’t had their fur trimmed. In fact, your pet’s hair has insulating characteristics to help protect him from the heat — that summer trim should be long, not short! Did you know that pets with white coats can get sunburned if they have naturally short or thinner coats? And pink-nosed pets including dogs, cats and rabbits, can get badly sunburned on their nose and ears, which can make them more prone to skin cancer. Lastly, don’t forget about those cute bellies! When you’re at the beach or chillin’ poolside with your furry BFF, remember that dogs can get sunburned on their tummies and inside their hind legs when sunlight reflects off sand or water. Check with your vet for a pet-safe sunscreen, or keep at-risk pets indoors when the sun is high. I found this out the hard way with Buddy recently. The vet shaved a small section of his back fur in order to do a spinal tap. Guess where he got a sunburn the following week? Duh, ma. Lesson learned.
5. Keep your four-legged friends off hot pavement.
Can you believe that when the air temperature outside is 77 degrees, asphalt in the sun has been measured at 125 degrees? That’s piping hot, my friends! When temperatures outdoors jump up to 86 or 87 degrees, asphalt can sizzle your skin (or your pet’s paws) at 135 to 143 degrees (an egg fries in 5 min at 131 degrees)! While most of us have witnessed or experienced the driveway dance of a human in bare feet, we don’t often think of the effect that burning hot surface has on the bare four paws of our companion animals. Get more tips for judging how safe the ground temperature is for Fido’s feet here.
6. Pet pool safety.
Never leave a dog unattended with access to a swimming pool. Even a dog who has never shown interest in getting in the water may accidentally slip in, or give it a try on a hot summer day. A dog’s instinct is to turn around and try to get out where they fell in, which may work well in a river or lake, but not in a pool. If possible, teach your dog how to swim safely to the steps and get out. If you don’t have access to a professional dog trainer, check out Barker Busters Pool Training article here. It’s a good idea to do a mini refresher course at the beginning of pool season each year too! Child-proof pool fencing can give your pooch an added layer of protection, but keep in mind your dog’s jumping and burrowing ability if you’re relying on that fencing to keep your pooch pool safe when you’re gone.
Your turn: I hope these tips come in handy and that you’ll spread the word about the importance of animal care! Please add your pet safety tips in the comments below.
Peace & paws,
I have a few pets that like to venture near the pool. My cats just like to lay in the sun and never touch the water. My dog loves jumping in and out of it, but I have never considered it to be a dangerous thing for him to have access to the pool. However, I really appreciate you informing me about this and I think that I will have to get a fence installed around it so that he can be safer.
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to be careful while exercising with your dog. I’ve decided that I want to start jogging in the mornings to get more into shape, and I think it would be fun to take my dog with. I’ll definitely keep an eye on him, and if he looks like he’s getting too tired or panting too much, I’ll make sure to take it easy and give him a break. Thanks for the great post!
I love this tips thanks, I will do it ..
Wow I had no idea pavement got so hot. I just got a new puppy. Well actually my wife did. She love the little thing. It is a cute dog, and full of energy. I love to take it out for walks. Now I really concerned it could get hurt on some hot pavement. Maybe I’ll make some doggy boots for my pup. I bet that would help, and look super cute.
I like what you said about how you should keep your pets off of hot pavement. That way, their little feet won’t get burnt. It might be a good idea to check their paws often during hot months. Then you can know if you need to take your pet to the veterinarian.
Thank you for bringing up heatstroke. I love being outside with my dog but it gets really hot in the summer where we live. If you think your dog is experiencing heat stroke would you call your vet or immediately take him in?
Hi there! This is Jennifer from Team Crazy Sexy. The most important thing to do is get your pup the attention s/he needs as soon as possible!
Animals are as much part of our society as we are and we need to take care of our furry companions. I would have been oblivious to the fact that you shouldn’t walk your pet on hot pavement, because just how it hurts your feet, it’ll hurt their paws! I feel so bad now knowing that some people are ignorant to that fact. Thanks for that information and I hope people read this and learn the danger of hot weather to their pets!
I liked your tips for keeping my dog safe around pools. This information will be good to know now that I’m installing a new pool in my yard. My dog has always been very curious, so there’s a chance that he’ll try to jump in the water and swim like humans do. Teaching him to swim seems like a great way to keep him safe in water so that he can safely reach the edge of the pool and onto dry ground.
This is a very useful guidelines! Thanks for sharing these wonderful thoughts.
Number 4 is such a good tip, yet highly overlooked! I know a lot of pet owners who simply don’t think about the sun penetrating their dogs coat, into the skin, and how it affects the dog. Many people who think of summer health for their dog are trying to make sure that fleas, parasites, and hydration are under control. I’m not sure if all my pet owner friends can identify a sunburn on a dog. Good tip!
sorry for typos above! should read:
….To have the knowledge needed in a crisis situation, before an emergency arises, folks might check…
thanks for this helpful list!
Regarding dogs left in hot cars, I suspect nobody reading this would do that to their beloved friend, but might witness this situation: a dog in a hot car, and in need of help.
Folks should know that in many cities, the appropriate response to an unattended dog in a hot car is to call 911 immediately. Below is just a tiny sampling of city-specific information (Austin TX, San Diego CA, Durham NC), where the police will respond to the 911 call and break the car window to rescue the animal in need:
http://www.austinhumanesociety.org/article/dog-hot-car-what-do
http://www.sdshelters.com/health_education/HotSummer.html
http://www.durhamregion.com/community-story/4294379-keep-pets-safe-this-winter-in-durham/
I’m sure this is true in many cities across the country.
To have the knowledge needed in a crisis situation, before an emergent arises, foils might check whether they should call 911 in this circumstance. If not (i.e., if this is not (yet) within the realm of 911 calls in their city), it’s important to advocate for this change to happen in their local government, so that local law enforcement has the authority to save the lives of animals in this situation.
If folks are in the enviable position of living in a city where 911 can respond, then I would suggest that the response to a distressed animal in a car is simple: call 911 FIRST, THEN attempt to locate owner (which can waste crucial seconds and minutes), with someone waiting beside car the entire time.
The fireworks post reminded me about anxiety levels (travel, vet, storms) and helpful OTC products I’ve used: Rescue Remedy (homeopathic), Quiet Moments natural supplement, Dr Harvey’s Relax (powdered herbal supplement, add to food), TTouch (Tellington Touch) and may add more later. Yay for doggies!!!
I have lived Washington State for 2 years now (near Portland Oregon). I have 3 dogs. The temperature here is not a problem but the Fireworks are. They will go off every night this month. My dogs are terrified. The paper and on craiglist will be printing the amount of dogs that are disappearing because of the fireworks. Vet offices are doing repairs on dogs that get hit with fireworks. I am patriotic and love the Fourth of July but come on. How about one evening of Fireworks and keep your animals in a safe place during.
I am a late learner….just learned that it is NOT a good idea to put ice cubes in your dog’s water bowl. It is not good for their stomachs/intestines.
hi, kandy — as a dogwalker, i was surprised to read your comment, so i went cyber-searching and found the following debunking of the no-ice myth:
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/6/20/dogs_and_ice_cubes.html
i also was reminded that i need to not just refill/rinse but to WASH OUT the water bowl every day . . . always something to learn!
best,
pam c., mpls
One more! I used these gel pads for my old boy and he was very grateful. The Green Pet Shop Self Cooling Pet Pad, Large. Curly loved it. He would often go from spot to spot to cool down and this was a happy option.
If your dog likes water and “runs hot” or even if they are normally hot, (cuz it’s hot!) get a stock tank from a farm supply to use as a cooling pool instead of the plastic baby pools. They are super duper sturdy, secure and they last
Excellent Idea! You can get them in all sizes, for big or small fur-babies.
Keep a collapsable water bowl in your car so you can share your water with ur dog in case you get stuck in bad traffic.
I would like to know about inoculations for cats. Are they necessary for cats that are not allowed to roam freely? My two have access to a secure outdoor deck, but not beyond that. I know they’re exposed to mosquitoes, and my vet says heartworm meds are needed because of that. (I live in Dutchess County, NY). Also wondering about the need for vaccinations for semi-indoor cats, in general. I’m not against them unless they are unnecessary.
Any info will be appreciated. Thanks!
Hey there! This is Jennifer from Team Crazy Sexy. We like to trust our vets but also talk to trusted and knowledgeable friends and research what animal experts have to say.
Thank you for these reminders! As a Floridian if I see an animal left in a car at ALL I will usually call the non-emergency police line.