Dog Days

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Tomorrow marks what are the start of the “Dog Days of Summer”. These days are typically the hottest and most humid time of the year. They get their name due to the fact these days occur when the “Dog Star” Sirius raises before the sun. If you had a column on the internet, what would you write as tips for overcoming this time of year? Try to make it like a real article and be all snooty and hardcore about how these are the BEST and ONLY ways that you could ever possibly handle the “Dog Days of Summer”. As if no one else could ever have the right answers. Just have fun with it, essentially.

Not having read any articles like that, I have no idea what to write….What I do read is a lot of information on dogs. Go figure my puppies are more important to me than my own health…..I read a lot of information put out by the ASPCA about pet health and care.

Dog Days for the Dogs

Now that summer is finally in full swing, and we are all enjoying the warm lazy days, all the advice on how to beat the “dog days of summer” starts creeping up in droves. While we must not forget mother’s advice on sunscreen and hats, we also have to remember our nearest and dearest little friends, our pets.

If you are like me, your “pets” are more then pets. They are beloved members of your family, and more then likely they are quite spoiled. While we are able to sit pool side in swimsuits and shorts, it is not so easy for our furry little friends to beat the heat. During these hot and humid days, we need to make sure we are taking care of both ourselves and our pets.

Summer Tips for our Furry Friends

Keep it cool! Dogs and cats can become dehydrated quickly, so give your pets plenty of water when it is hot outdoors. Also make sure your pet has a shady place to escape the sun, and when the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your dog’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn.

Some advice from the ASPCA: “Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle..On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time, and heatstroke can develop, which is potentially fatal.” — Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.

Thus, while we all love traveling with our pets and hate leaving them at home, often it is much safer to leave them at home (in the house of course) with the air on. How much heat a dog or cat breed can handle is loosely based on their genetics; keep in mind that all animals, like their people, become acclimatized.

Know the Symptoms of Overheating The symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, seizures, and an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

“Animals with flat faces, like pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively…These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.” Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.

Human food is NOT pet food. Summertime is the perfect time for a backyard barbeque or party, but please remember that the food and drink you serve your guests may be poisonous to your pets. It is important to keep alcoholic beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression, comas, or even death. Also remember that the snacks you serve your friends should not be a treat for your pet; any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe digestive ailments. Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, tomatoes, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol – these are all poisonous to pets.

Pest-Free Pets. Commonly-used flea and tick products, rodenticides (mouse and rat baits), insecticides, and herbicide lawn products can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. While there are flea products that can be used safely on dogs, these same products can be deadly to cats, because of the presence of the chemical permethrin. Be sure to read directions on these products carefully. When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or herbicide lawn products. Keep citronella candles, oil products and insect coils out of pets’ reach as well.

Water Safety is Pet-friendly. We all love a trip to the beach or lake, or lounging pool side – but do not leave pets unsupervised around water, as not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure pets wear flotation devices while on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset. Similarly too much salt water while at the beach will also make your pets really ill to their stomachs.

And since we are coming up on the annual “Blow the Shit out of your Neighbors” weekend: No Fireworks for Fido. Please leave pets at home when you head out to Fourth of July celebrations, and never use fireworks around pets. Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma to curious pets, even unused fireworks are hazardous. Many types of fireworks contain potentially toxic substances such as potassium nitrate, copper, chlorates, arsenic and other heavy metals. Obviously if ingested these can be fatal to pets. The same applies for after the fireworks have been used – clean up all used fireworks because the burned out casings still contain trace amounts of these substances and are still dangerous to pets.

Summer time is a time to relax and have fun. During these relaxing “dog days” of summer, while we are having a a good time we need to make sure our beloved furry little friends also get the chance to have a fun and safe summer!

~~Summer Safety tips from ASPCA recommendation on pet safety