Summer Safety Guide for Pets

In the summer, many people like to share their summer fun with their pets, bringing them along to the park, the mall and the beach. But many owners don't realize that pets are extremely susceptible to overheating and much less efficient at cooling themselves than are people.

Owners may not realize that Fido or Fluffy has become overheated, thirsty, or frightened of crowds. A good general rule is that if it's too hot outside for you, it's too hot outside for your pet.

The following guidelines will help you keep your four-legged friends safe and sound during the summer months.

General Pet First Aid Tips

Your pet is part of your family. And just like any other member of the family, pets can become ill or injured. Would you know how to care for your pet in an emergency? Here are a few tips: 

• Pay attention to what is normal for your pet so you can detect signals when something is wrong.
• Approach a sick or injured animal slowly and cautiously.
• Watch the body expressions and sounds your pet makes to warn you. Even your own pet can be aggressive when in pain or frightened.
• Do not make quick, jerky, or loud movements. They might further scare your pet.
• Use towels or blankets to cover the eyes to calm or subdue cats or small dogs when necessary.
• Keep the phone number and address of your veterinarian in a convenient location.
• Have the phone number and address of an after-hours veterinary clinic on hand and keep directions to that clinic in the same place. Whenever possible, call ahead to let them know you'll be coming.

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke can be fatal for pets as well as people. Every summer, animals left in parked cars suffer brain damage and die from heatstroke. Dogs perspire only around their paws, which is inadequate to cool them down on hot days. To rid themselves of excess heat, animals pant. Nevertheless, an overheated dog can suffer brain and organ damage after only 15 minutes. On steamy summer days, pets should stay cool and out of the sun.

Signs of heat stroke in dogs:

• Body temperature of 104-110 degrees Fahrenheit
• Heavy panting, rapid heartbeat and glazed eyes
• Dark or bright red tongue and gums
• Excessive thirst and/or profuse salivation
• Lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination
• Staggering, stupor and/or seizures
• Bloody diarrhea or vomiting
• Unconsciousness

If your dog shows symptoms of heatstroke, immediately take steps to gradually lower its body temperature, then call your vet. Following the tips below could save your dog's life:

• Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area.
• Apply ice packs or cold towels to your pet"s head, neck and chest or immerse her in cool—but not cold—water. (Very cold water will constrict the blood vessels and impede cooling.) 
• Let your pet drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
• Take your pet directly to a veterinarian. Even if the animal is cooler and seems to have recovered, DON’T assume that your pet is okay. Internal organs—the liver, kidneys, brain and more—are affected by heatstroke. Your vet must asses your pet’s condition to make sure that everything is alright.  

Pets that are especially susceptible to heat:

• Elderly, very young, and ill animals (dogs and cats) have a harder time regulating their body temperature.
• Dogs with snub noses (also called short-nosed breeds) such as Pekingese, pugs, and bulldogs, have a hard time staying cool because they can't pant efficiently. They must stay out of the heat.
• Overweight dogs are prone to overheating. Their extra layers of fat act as insulation that traps heat within their bodies. 
• Large heavy-coated dog breeds.
• Dogs with heart or respiratory problems.

How to Protect Your Pet on Hot Days

• Monitor your pet closely whenever he or she is outside during the summer months.
• Provide plenty of water and shade for your pets while they are outdoors so they can stay cool.
• Don't leave your pet outside unattended on a hot day, even in the shade. Shade can move throughout the day, and pets can overheat and become ill quickly
• Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car, even for "just a minute.” An 85° F day can skyrocket a car"s interior to deadly levels—120-130° F—in minutes, even with the windows slightly open or when parked in the shade. The mild days of spring and fall can also pose great danger.
• Limit exercise to early morning or evening hours. Remember that asphalt can become scorching and burn your pet's paws.
• Hose down your dog before work, at lunch or whenever you can to provide extra cooling on a hot day.
• Keep your pet well groomed and clipped. If your dog has very thick hair, its fur may trap too much heat. Clipping it in summer will help keep your pet cool.
• Use sunscreen on your dog’s nose and ears if necessary. Dogs with light-colored noses or fur are especially vulnerable to sunburn and skin cancer. 
• Keep your pet away from crowded summer events like concerts, fairs and fireworks. Loud noises and crowds combined with the heat and humidity can be stressful and dangerous.

More Pet Summer Safety Tips

• Keep your pet leashed while outdoors. That will be easier to keep your pet from getting lost, fighting with other animals, and eating and drinking things that could make it sick.
• Keep your cat indoors. Cats that are allowed outdoors unattended face a high risk for disease and injury from vehicles and other animals. The estimated life span of a free-roaming cat is less than three years, compared with 15 to 18 years for an indoor cat.
• Prevent access to pools. Your pet could drink the chemical-rich pool water. Also, many pets can't swim, and those who can swim may be unable to get out of a high-sided pool. If you must have your pet near a pool, supervise that animal closely.
• Outfit your dog with a life preserver if you go on a boat.  If your pet is knocked off the boat, a life jacket could save its life.
• Keep your pet away from lawns and gardens that have been fertilized. Some plant food, fertilizer and insecticides can be fatal if ingested by your pet. Also, hundreds of plants produce toxic substances in amounts that can harm animals.
• Make sure your pet always wears a collar and ID tag.
• Spay or neuter your dog or cat. Spaying and neutering provides many health benefits.

Parasite Prevention

• Choose flea and tick control products recommended by your vet. Some over-the-counter products can be toxic, even when used according to the instructions.
• Check with your vet to see if your pets should be taking heartworm prevention medication. Heartworm disease, which is transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito, can be fatal if not treated. Both dogs and cats are at increased risk of contracting heartworm during the summer.
• Keep the grass cut short to reduce the chances of ear mite and tick infestations. Ear mites and ticks are more common in summer.
• Check your pet for ticks often.
• Remove the fecal matter from the yard as soon as possible. The feces will attract flies which will bite your pet, usually in the ears.

Riding in Cars With Pets

• Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car, even with the windows slightly open or when parked in the shade. Remember, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows open a bit, will climb to 102 degrees in as little as 10 minutes.
• Alert the management of the shopping area if you see an animal in a parked car in the summer. If the owner does not return promptly, call local animal control or the police. Time is critical. Dogs and cats can't perspire—they can dispel heat only by panting and through the pads of their feet.
• Never allow dogs to ride with their heads out a car window since injury could occur from flying debris. Animals should be kept in the car in a crate or wearing a specially designed seatbelt harness for dogs.
• Always have dogs ride in the cab of a pick-up truck (in a crate or wearing a seat belt harness designed for dogs) or in a secured crate in the bed of the truck, not in the truck's open bed. (In some states, this is illegal.) If your dog rides in the back of the truck and you stop short, swerve, or are hit by another car, it could be thrown from the truck and into traffic. Flying debris can also cause serious injury.

Summer Travel with Your Pet

• Check out veterinary clinics/hospitals in any area you travel to with a pet. This will save valuable time in an emergency situation.
• Do not schedule air flights during peak periods, which are often plagued by delays and stopovers. Choose early-morning or evening flights, when the sun is less strong, and pick up your pet promptly upon arrival at your destination.
• Realize that many airlines have summer pet embargoes, and most trains and ships do not allow pets other than service animals.