We all love spending
the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being
overeager in hot weather can spell danger. To prevent your pet from
overheating, take these simple precautions provided by ASPCA experts:
·
Visit the vet for a spring
or early-summer checkup. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm if
they aren’t on year-round preventative medication.
·
Pets can get
dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when
it’s hot or humid outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out
of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when
it’s extremely hot.
·
Know the symptoms of
overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing,
increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even
collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along
with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.
·
Animals with flat
faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since
they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the
overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in
air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
·
Never leave your
animals alone in a parked vehicle. Not only can it lead to fatal heat
stroke, it is illegal in several states!
·
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 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.
·
Open unscreened
windows pose a real danger to pets, who often fall out of them. Keep all
unscreened windows or doors in your home closed, and make sure adjustable
screens are tightly secured.
·
Feel free to trim
longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’
coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than
usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any
sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled
specifically for use on animals.
·
When the temperature
is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close to
the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can
burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.
·
Commonly used
rodenticides and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs
if ingested, so keep them out of reach. Keep citronella candles, tiki torch
products and insect coils of out pets’ reach as well. Call your veterinarian or
the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at
(888) 426-4435 if you suspect your animal has ingested a poisonous substance.
·
Remember that food and
drink commonly found at barbeques can be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic
beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression and comas.
Similarly, 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. Please visit our People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets page
for more information.
·
Please leave pets at
home when you head out to Fourth of July celebrations, and never use
fireworks around pets. Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in
severe burns or trauma, and even unused fireworks can contain hazardous
materials. Many pets are also fearful of loud noises and can become lost,
scared or disoriented, so it’s best to keep your little guys safe from the
noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area of your home. Be prepared in
the event that your pet does escape by downloading the ASPCA Mobile App. You’ll receive a
personalized missing pet recovery kit, including step-by-step instructions on
how to search for a lost animal in a variety of circumstances.
