With the warm weather in full swing, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy the outdoors, especially with your pets! But it’s important to keep your pet cool and comfortable during the hot summer months.
First off, it’s important that you never leave your pet in the car in the summer. The temperature in cars can go up really quickly, so even leaving your pet in the car for five minutes has the potential to be very dangerous. Running some errands? Your pet is better off being left at home.
Always make sure your pet has lots of water available to them, both inside and outside. And if you leave water for them outside, make sure you’re replacing it often and not letting it get hot and contaminated.
If exposing your pet to the heat and humidity is unavoidable, keep them cool by lightly spraying them with water. They’ll probably also think it’s fun! You can also feed them flavoured ice cubes to bring their body temperature down temporarily.
If your pet needs to be outside a lot, make sure they have lots of shade. Whether this is from trees, furniture or if you need to set them up with their own umbrella, they’ll appreciate having somewhere cool to sit.
When taking your pet for a walk, always take fresh, cold water with you. You don’t want to get caught out unexpectedly without it. Water you find at dog parks can often be contaminated, so only use it if you know it’s clean and fresh.
And lastly, when you’re out with your pet, try and walk on the grass as much as possible. The sidewalk and pavement can get very hot in the summer months and could potentially burn your pet’s feet.
Keep a close eye on your pet when it’s hot. If they’re panting more than usual or lifting their feet off the pavement quickly, they’re probably too hot.
Close Vet Clinic wishes you and your pet a safe and happy summer!