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SUMMER HEAT CAUTIONS
Summer is upon us in full swing. Many of us are out enjoying the beautiful weather, and many times we want to include our animal friends. Here are some following tips to make sure your pets stay safe in the summer heat and humidity:
Furry pets (dogs, cats, ferrets, etc) cannot sweat; they can only cool themselves by panting. Walk your dogs in the cool of the early morning or at dusk.
Do not allow your pet to engage in heavy exercise in the midday heat. When the pet is indoors make sure there is adequate ventilation (air conditioning is best but a cool fan blowing air through the house is also helpful).
Make sure the pet has fresh cool water available at all times and do not leave the pet unattended for long periods of time.
Try to keep your pet indoors during the heat of the day. If the dog is outdoors, make sure there is fresh water, adequate shade, and make sure nothing is preventing the dog from panting (never use a muzzle for long periods of time).
If the dog is sick, injured or old, be careful when it is outdoors; flies like to lay eggs in open wounds or long hair of dogs that are too weak to move around much. These can lead to fly larvae living on your dog!
NEVER EVER leave a pet inside of a car, even with the windows open, unattended, even for 5 minutes. Temperatures can easily reach over 100 degrees F and can kill your dog.
Short nosed breed dogs (Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Pugs, Shihtzus, etc) are very susceptible to hot weather; make sure to keep them cool and comfortable and do not take them for long walks when it is hot outside.
Make sure you take your pet to the vet for a good checkup. Mosquitoes increase in the summer, and they carry dangerous disease like heartworm and West Nile virus. Fleas and ticks also carry bad diseases. Make sure the pet is on good flea/tick/heartworm preventatives and check the pet daily for any unwanted pests.
Make sure your reptile is NOT in the same room as your air conditioner...drafty areas can make temperature control difficult and can lead to health problems in your reptile.
