Summer Tips

Summer is a wonderful time. The weather is great, and the kids are home from school. Families spend a lot of time relaxing by the pool and enjoying the sun. People vacation. They also spend more time at home with their pets.

As the weather heats up, people need to consider many safety concerns for their pets.

Here are some tips for summer safety:

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Poisons. Pets are known for eating things they shouldn’t. There are many different things that can poison your animals including medications, plants, and much more. To prevent an accidental poisoning, you need to make sure your house and yard are safe from any products that may be harmful to your pets. Even so, pets are curious and will eat almost anything.
• If your pets eat something they shouldn’t, you may notice that they are lethargic and don’t seem to be feeling well. You may also notice weakness, drooling, nausea, and even vomiting. If left untreated, your pets may start having tremors and seizures or even slip into a coma. Anytime your pets are not feeling well because they may have gotten into something, you need to see your veterinarian right away.
• If you do see your pets eat something, you can help by acting fast. Always remove your pets from the poison. Figure out what they ate and take it along with you to the veterinarian’s office. If you have a label, that is even better. If your pets already vomited, collect it and take it along. Don’t induce vomiting unless you have been told to do so. Call your veterinarian and the pet poison control hotline to determine what to do next. With quick thinking, you may be able to save their life.
• Heatstroke. Heatstroke in pets can be deadly, so it is important to take care of your pets that are outside. Make sure they have shade (a doghouse can be hotter, so it doesn’t count) and plenty of water. Add ice cubes if you think they won’t stop your pets from drinking. Restrict activity and walks to the early morning or late evening when it is a little cooler.
• If your pets do overheat, cool them off. Get them in the air conditioning or at least the shade. Use cool water and ice packs to decrease their body temperature and get to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Heatstroke can cause pets to lose consciousness and even die. Your pets could also go into kidney failure if left untreated.
• Parasites. Parasites are plentiful in the summer months. There are internal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and much more. These can cause diarrhea and weight loss. We also have to deal with fleas and ticks. Fleas can cause intense itching to the point where your pets are losing quite a bit of hair. Ticks are really bad because they can spread a lot of different diseases such as Lyme disease and much more, depending on where you live.
• Internal parasites, fleas, and ticks not only bother pets, but also can be troublesome to humans. Internal parasites can cause a lot of symptoms, including blindness in children, so it is important to deworm pets regularly. Fleas can bite people while ticks can spread their diseases to humans too. Luckily, there are many medications that can help to keep fleas and ticks off of your pets. Most are given monthly and work very well.
• Foxtails and burrs. Since animals are so curious, they can get themselves into trouble. Foxtails and burrs can get stuck on your pet anywhere (feet, legs, nose, etc.). If left untreated, they can become infected. Foxtails have also been known to migrate. Foxtails that have gotten into a pet’s nose may get into the brain. Foxtails in a pet’s feet may migrate and puncture a lung.
• If you notice that your dogs or cats have discharge coming from a paw or anywhere else, you need to go to the veterinarian. You may also notice swelling and pain. Your pets may limp because something is stuck in their foot. Anytime your pets have any of these symptoms, you need to take them to the veterinarian.
• To prevent this potential problem, keep your dogs on a leash and on the path when out hiking. Keep your yard mowed. Fence in your yard so your pets have a safe place to play. Anytime that your pets meet a foxtail or a burr, contact your veterinarian so you can avoid any further problems.
• Sunburn. Most people think about protecting their own skin from the sun, but pets can also get sunburned too. White and light-colored pets are more likely to get sunburned that others. Also, areas where there is little hair (like the nose, ears, face, etc.) are more likely to get burned.
• Dogs will get red skin from sunburn, and they may also lose their hair. The more sunburned they are, the more painful it can be, so it is important to keep your pets protected from the sun. It is the same for animals as it is for people. You can use sunscreen made for pets. There are also clothes that you can buy to keep your pets protected. If your pets will wear them, sunglasses are a great way to protect their eyes. You also don’t want to shave your dogs too close or they will be more likely to burn.
• High-Rise Syndrome. High-rise syndrome was coined by a group of veterinarians who saw a bunch of pets fall out of the window and into the street. When it gets nice, people tend to open the windows of their apartments and spend time on the balcony or fire escape. They even take their pets with them.
• Many pets have accidentally fallen out of the window or off of the balcony. This can cause a lot of hidden problems in addition to the obvious ones. Pets can break bones, but they may also severely bruise their heart, lungs, and even brain. They may have internal bleeding or rupture their bladder. Anytime pets fall out of a window, they need to be seen to monitor for any of these problems.
• There is a simple solution for high-rise syndrome. Keep your windows closed at all times. If you must open a window, be sure that your screens will hold if your pets lean into them. Also, if you can open only a part of a window, open the top. Close your windows if you are playing with your pets or if you are going to make a loud noise that may cause them to spook. You also shouldn’t leave your pets alone on your balcony.
• Water Accidents. Summertime is a great time to relax by the pool and swim. However, not all pets are good at swimming. Most people think that pets naturally know how to swim, and that is just not true. Many dogs and cats fall into the pool and don’t know what to do. They can’t get out, and they drown.
  
Even if your pets don’t drown, they may experience some bad effects to the body. It just takes a few minutes for a pet to inhale a large amount of water into the lungs. Your pets may start coughing and have trouble breathing. They can become severely distressed and anxious. Your pets may also catch pneumonia. It is important to get them to the veterinarian any time they fall into the water and have any trouble. Many pets don’t show signs of any problems, yet many die a few days after falling into the pool from other complications.
• You need to keep your pets away from the pool. Make sure that you have a fence around it. If you do take your pets swimming to cool off, make sure you are holding them. Don’t let them go under.
• Wildlife. Wildlife can be a big problem. Wild animals are hungry and looking for anything to eat, including a small cat or even a large dog if they are really hungry. Many people have to worry about coyotes, bears, mountain lions, and even alligators depending on where they live. These animals may just kill and leave your pets or may take them away to eat.
• It is really important to keep your pets safe. Let them out only when you are around, especially at night. That will help to keep your pets safe. Fence in your yard. Not only will that keep your pets safe, it should keep intruders out! Take a gun if you live somewhere that wild animals are often seen, just in case.
  Hot cars. Many people love to take their pets with them when they go places. However, it is simply not safe to leave a pet in a hot car even with the air conditioning running. Temperatures can rise quickly, and within ten minutes or so your pets will be so uncomfortable. Dogs in hot cars can dehydrate and die quickly.
• It is always best to leave your pets home when you are running errands. Leave them home in the air conditioning instead of taking them along. Wouldn’t you rather be at home in the air conditioning than out in the car?
• The Unexpected. Summer brings a lot of fun times but also some scary ones. There are so many things that can happen to your family and pets during the summer. Falls and breaks happen. Pets do stupid things like eat something that they shouldn’t. They may hide places that they shouldn’t and get banged up.

Summer can be a wonderful time, but it can also be filled with emergencies if you don’t care for your pets properly. It helps to be prepared in times of emergency. Whenever something unexpected happens, you should always know where to turn. Know your veterinarian. Have your veterinarian’s phone number memorized. Know which emergency clinic you need to go to if your veterinarian’s office is closed. Know the number for the pet poison control. Knowing these simple things can save a lot of stress and heartache! Get medical help immediately.