Pet Tips

ADVICE FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS AND VACATION SEASON

Heat Stress: Any pet can suffer from heat stress the more susceptible are:

• Very young and older pets

• Pets with a previous history of heat stress

• Overweight pets

• Pets with cardiovascular or respiratory disorders

• Short-nosed breeds

Help prevent heat stress by:

• Never leaving pets in parked vehicles

• Providing shade cover when ouside

• Avoiding excessive activities during hot weather

• Providing clean, fresh water at all times

• Providing proper ventilation and air circulation when pets are kept in kennels or pens

Signs of heat stress are:

• Profuse panting & salivation

• Failure to respond to commands

• High fever

• Rapid heartbeat

• Staring or an anxious expression

• Warm dry skin

• Fatigue

• Muscular weakness or collapse

If your pet suffers from heat stress, you want to cool the animal down slowly. It may take as long as 45 minutes to an hour for the panting to slow down, be patient. Immerse the pet in cool water or spray him with cool water. Call or get to a veterinarian ASAP. You must monitor the temperature as you are cooling him down.

Parasite Control: Summer is the worse time of the year for internal and external parasites. Be sure your flea & tick control is in effect and your pet is free of worms.

Grooming: If your pet has a thick or long coat keep it in good condition with regular brushing and baths when needed. Do not shave the coat off unless the coat is in bad condition(i.e. full of mats, dirty, sores, bald patches). Shaving the coat actually takes the dog's insulation from the heat and sun away, exposing him to the heat. Dogs do not sweat as we do to cool themselves. They need their coats as protection from the heat. Whether you shave the dog or not always provide plenty of shade and fresh water.

Cooling your dog: Your dog naturally will seek out a cool moist place on hot days. If you have a garden he will dig and lay down in it because it is cool and moist. He may dig his own "garden" till he reaches the moist soil and then lay down in it. The problem with that is it will dry up and tomorrow he'll dig a new spot. To help eliminate so much digging you can do a couple of things. First you can get a kiddie pool and see if that is enough for your dog to keep cool with a dip in it from time to time. Some dogs really enjoy a kiddie pool. Second, if you don't mind one hole in the yard, pick one he's already dug and fill it each morning with water or ice by the time it warms up the hole will be moist and attractive to your dog and he won't search for or start another hole. Good Luck!

:) GOOD LUCK!

 

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