Summer Care Tips for Pet Owners

Pets must always have plenty of fresh water. You should even provide an extra bowl of water in the summer. Water should be dumped and refreshed at least once a day. Cats, in particular, drink less when there is dust on the surface of the water. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are better to use than plastic. Ice cubes can be added to the water on a hot day.

Pets who are outdoors in the summer must have shade. Shade can come from the house, trees, or even a picnic table. Be aware that as the sun changes position how it affects the shade in your yard and be certain that your pet has shade throughout the day. Not only does shade help keep the pet cool, but some pets suffer from sunburn, particularly those with pink skin.  Some dogs, paricularly Huskies, have a very hard time dealing with hot weather and may be more comfortable in the basement of a house during the hottest times of the day.

Image via Wikipedia  – a flea, note fleas can also spread tape worms.

Parasite control is very important in the summer in areas where fleas, or ticks, are common. Do not treat your pet for fleas and ticks unless you know they are a problem because some pets have adverse reactions to the medication, over-the-counter flea and tick medication is particularly risky and has resulted in pet deaths even when used correctly. Never use a flea collar. Speak to your veterinarian about what flea and tick medication is best in your area, as well as what worming program your pet should be on. This is very important in cats who go outside and can catch mice.

Insects can also be a bother to pets, some suffer from mosquito bites, and there is always the risk of a bee or wasp sting. There is not much you can do to prevent some of these bites but you should be aware of the concerns. Flies are a huge risk to some outdoor pets, particularly rabbits with dirty bottoms. The flies lay their eggs on the rumps of the animals and the maggots eat the pet while it is alive, actually killing it. This is called Fly Strike and is a reason why you must be sure your yard does not have feces to attract flies, and the animals bottom is kept clean.

Cats and dogs who are not vaccinated should not go outside. Parvovirus is especially active in the summer and unvaccinated puppies are always at risk of this killer disease. With more pets outside in the summer it is never a good idea to let an unvaccinated animal out of the house. Puppies who are not fully vaccinated should be kept in a fully fenced yard.

Be aware of poisonous plants and toxic chemicals in your yard, shed, and garage. Most animals do not eat poisonous plants, but certain lily species have pollen that is deadly to cats. The cats only have to brush up against the plant to have pollen land on their fur which they might ingest when grooming. If you use pesticides on your plants you need to be aware that these can also cause problems for pets who eat the plants, or eat the bugs.   Never let a pet such as a rabbit walk on your lawn if you have treated it with any chemicals!

When walking your dog be aware that the sidewalk can get very hot and can even burn the pads of the dog’s paws. Try to walk your dog on the grass. Select the coolest time of day to go for long walks.

Pets can suffer from heat exhaustion, keep an eye on your pets activity level on hot days.

Some people have hair trimmed from long haired dogs, and cats. You should talk to your groomer first because sometimes this hair is actually insulating the animal and protecting it from the sun, and heat.

Dogs often enjoy playing in the water to keep cool, you can provide them with a shallow child’s swimming pool filled with enough water that the dog can stand up in. Add some floating balls as toys.

You can also help dogs to stay cool by soaking a rope toy in water, and freezing it before giving it to the dog to play with.

Again, this is only a short guide of summer pet care tips, if you have more summer tips for pet owners be sure to share them with others by leaving a comment.