While
summertime is often a time to relax, play sports, enjoy picnics, trips
to the beach, and backyard parties, the summer months can also offer
some potential hazards to our companion animals.
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Heatstroke
and Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is often caused by over-exercising or running with a
dog during hot weather, and this can result in brain damage, heart failure
or even death in a short period of time. Short nosed, thick-coated breeds,
overweight, and very young or very old pets are particularly vulnerable.
Always take cool water along when walking, running or hiking with your
dog during hot weather. To cool off an overheated dog, offer him plenty
of water, then wet the dog's body and paws with cool water, then fan.
A dog's normal internal body temperature is between 100.5 degrees F and
102 degrees F. If the dog experiences heatstroke or heat exhaustion,
he should receive veterinary attention as soon as possible.
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Parked
cars
Leaving your dog in a parked car in the summer (even with the window
left a few inches open), can cause heatstroke within minutes. Note: Leaving
your dog in a car parked in the shade does not assure that your dog will
not become seriously overheated. Dogs left in parked cars also risk being
harassed or stolen.
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Car
Windows
Prevent
your dog from hanging his head out of a moving
car or truck window when taking him for a ride.
Bugs, small pebbles and other debris can injure
his eyes, and he is also at risk of jumping out
of the vehicle. Also, closing automatic car windows
while your dog is hanging his head out of the
car window can cause him or her serious harm.
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Pickup
Trucks
Never allow your dog to ride in the back of an open pickup truck, unless
he is safely secured by a padded harness to the center of the pickup "bed" with
specially designed tethers. Make sure to provide a thick comfortable padded
surface or dog bed to prevent any injury or discomfort to your dog's joints
and feet. The bed of a pickup truck can get hot enough to seriously burn
the dogs' pads. |
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Airplane
Travel
To help prevent your dog or cat from overheating when traveling by airplane,
avoid transporting your companion animal in the cargo section of the plane
during hot weather. If your must transport you dog or cat in the cargo
section, take a direct, early morning or late evening flight whenever possible,
as layovers, delayed take-offs, and mid-day travel (when the temperature
is hottest) can all pose an increased risk. |
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Vacations
Always used a trusted pet sitter. Many animals try to escape and find their
owners when they leave on vacation. Make sure your pets are ID tagged
and that the sitter have phone numbers where you can be reached, your
veterinarian's phone number, and the local animal shelter's phone number. |
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Protect
Your Dog From Being Stolen
The number of companion animals that are stolen from backyards and
from outside stores and supermarkets increases dramatically throughout
Spring,
Summer and Fall. Even the "safest" neighborhoods are not immune to this
growing problem. The bottom line is: never leave your dog unsupervised
if there is any risk that your dog could be harassed, poisoned or stolen.
Keep a current license and identification tag on your dog or cat and consider
tattooing or micro-chipping as a means of permanent identification. |
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Benefits
of Spaying and Neutering
Regardless of the time of year, neutering your dog (or cat) will help
reduce the likelihood of: your dog roaming and getting injured or lost,
unwanted litters, intra-species fighting, sexual frustration and mounting,
urinary marking, dominance aggression, and a variety of physical conditions
including certain types of cancer.
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Heartworm
medicine
Mosquitoes now cover most of the United States in warmer weather, so make
sure your dogs and cats are on heartworm preventative to avoid potentially
fatal heartworms. |
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Outside
Pets
Always provide plenty of shade for an animal staying outside the house.
A properly constructed dog house serves best. Bring your dog or cat inside
during the heat of the day and let her rest in a cool part of your house.
Always provide plenty of cool, clean water for your animal. Never tie an
animal outside on a correction collar. He can choke to death. If you must
tether him, use a buckle collar with identification tags instead. (This
applies in any season.) Never let your animal run loose. This is how an
animal can contract a fatal disease, including rabies, or be injured, killed
or stolen. Be sure there are no open, unscreened windows or doors through
which your animal can fall or jump. |
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Open
Windows, Fire Escapes and Rooftops
Many people leave a few windows open in their home to help create a nice
cool cross-breeze. If you have a dog or cat at home, be certain to install
secure window screens (or safety bars) in any of the windows which will
be left open, as many companion animals fall out of windows, and fire-escapes
every year and are often seriously injured or killed. |
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Safety
around swimming pools, beaches, lakes
Not all dogs can swim and all pets are at risk around pools and other bodies
of water when unsupervised. Have them leashed and with you at all times,
and life jackets are available through most sporting goods stores. Never
take animals to the beach unless you can provide a shaded spot and plenty
of flesh water for them to drink. Rinse pets off after they have been in
salt water. |
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Chemicals
Avoid walking your dog in areas that you suspect have been sprayed with
insecticides or other chemicals, as poisonings increase during the
summer when gardens, lawns and trees are sprayed. These chemicals can
sicken or kill an animal. Call your veterinarian if you suspect your
animal has been poisoned. Be alert for coolant leaking from your vehicle.
Animals are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant and ingesting just
a small amount can cause an animal's death. Consider using animal-friendly
products that use propylene glycol rather than those containing ethylene
glycol. If ingested, anti-freeze is often lethal -- even in very small
quantities. Because many dogs and cats like its sweet taste, there
are an enormous number of animal fatalities each year from animals
drinking anti-freeze. Poisoning from anti-freeze is considered a serious
medical emergency which must be treated by a qualified veterinarian
IMMEDIATELY. Fortunately, the Sierra company now offers a far less
toxic form of anti-freeze. They can be reached at (888)88-SIERRA. |
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Grooming
A clean coat can help to prevent summer skin problems. If he has a heavy
coat, shaving your dog's hair to a 1-inch length will help prevent
overheating. Don't shave a dog's hair down to the skin; this robs him
of protection from the sun. A cat should be brushed frequently to keep
his coat tangle-free. |
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Vet
Care
Take your companion animal to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer
checkup, including a test for heartworm if your dog isn't on year-round
preventative medication. Have the doctor recommend a safe, effective flea
and tick control program. |
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July
4th Fireworks
Many animals escape when they hear fireworks. Crating a pet during fireworks
is the safest solution. You can play music to help cover the sound.
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