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Chillin’ safely with your pets this summer

If you have a dog, cat or any other type of pet, you will want to take some precautions with regard to summer heat. We will talk about how to avoid the dangers of summer heat and what to do if your pet suffers heatstroke.

Pets in the car – Stay out of the oven!

One of the biggest causes of heatstroke in pets is leaving your pet in a car. Leaving your pet in a parked car when it is about 90 degrees outside, will bake your pet alive in a short amount of time. This is because the temperature inside the car will become much higher than 90 degrees in only a few minutes.

Your pet can quickly suffer brain damage, or die from heatstroke or suffocation in such conditions. Dogs can endure these conditions even less than other pets. A panting dog produces heat and humidity every time it pants to lose heat, and this hot, damp air will re-circulate in the small space of a car and will quickly build to frying hot temperatures! Note that parking the car in the shade or leaving the car window cracked open slightly will not be sufficient help for such fast and extreme increases in temperature.

In addition, know that leaving your pet in a car makes it very vulnerable to thieves – thousands of pets are stolen each year from unattended or unlocked cars. Furthermore, in many states, it is against the law to leave a pet unattended in a parked vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal, this includes the danger posed by summer heat. Therefore, always avoid leaving your pet in a car, and especially in the heat of summer!

Pets at Home – Precautions and Prevention

At home, there are many ways to prevent summer heat from damaging or even killing your pet. For dogs, doghouses are not the best shelters during the summer as they can trap heat. You will want to make sure your dog has some other oasis in the backyard, such as a shaded resting area by a tree. You may also want to get a child’s wading pool for your dog and fill it with some water, in case your dog wants to cool off when it gets very hot. Of course, also prepare a large bowl of fresh water for your pet each day.

Lastly, do not tie up your pet outside! If its leash gets tangled, it can cut itself off from access to its water dish and shade. And if you are not home to rescue it, the consequences can be fatal.

In the home, make sure that any cages and tanks do not receive direct sunlight through a window. Always make sure that your pet has access to water, and make sure the water is kept clean and fresh. In addition, make it a habit to regularly check the temperature in your pet’s cage or tank to ensure that the temperature in the cage or tank does not get too high. Inexpensive stick-on thermometer strips from your local pet store are easy and convenient for monitoring temperatures for most kinds of cages and tanks, not just aquariums.

Consider trimming or shaving the coat of a longer-haired pet. It will feel much more comfortable, and you will have less shedding to contend with. It is also wise to avoid strenuous exercise on extremely hot days. Take walks in the early mornings or evenings when the sun’s heat is less intense. Try to avoid prolonged exposure to hot asphalt, concrete or sand which can burn your pet’s paws.

Heatstroke – The Signs and Treatment

If you think that your pet has been exposed to high temperatures, be alert for these signs of heat stress: heaving or heavy panting, glazed or widened eyes, rapid pulse, restlessness or lethargy extremes, dizziness in the form of unsteadiness or staggering, excessive thirst, excessive salivation and drooling, vomiting, or a deep red tongue.

As the heat stroke advances its mouth can become very dry and pale in color and it will quickly become unconscious and collapse. Keep in mind that if you have a short-faced dog such as a bulldog, Pekingese or boxer, it will have an especially hard time in the heat because it does not pant as efficiently as longer faced dogs.

If your pet shows symptoms of heatstroke, you must lower its body temperature immediately but in gradual steps. First, move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Next, apply cool – not cold – water all over its body gradually. You can do this by slowly immersing it in a shallow tub of cool water or running cool water over it gradually from a pitcher or faucet (not a hose). Make sure the water gets to its skin and does not just roll off its fur. Pay close attention to the undersides – the stomach and around the legs. If there is not a sufficient running water supply by the pet, at least wet some towels (or use ice packs if available) and apply them to your pet’s head, neck and chest.

Finally, let your pet drink small amounts of cool water, or chew on or lick some ice cubes. If your pet is unconscious and not able to drink, at least run some water over its tongue and mouth, but be careful not to run it down its throat as you do not want to choke or gag your pet! If your pet does not get better quickly and if the heat stress was severe, take your pet to a veterinarian immediately. But remember that you need to start the cooling-down process before seeing the veterinarian.

Observing these common sense ideas concerning summer heat and pets will help to ensure that your best friend leads a healthy and comfortable life.

Did you know that for every ten fleas you see on your pet there could be 25,000 flea eggs in your house? Battling fleas may seem like an impossible war, but with the right products and information you can get rid of them once and for all.

Fleas go through four stages as they grow: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Only the adult stage flea may be found on your pet, and the victims are usually dogs or cats. The others live in carpeting, on furniture, in the yard or at any other place that you pet has access to. To win against fleas you must attack them at all of their four stages.

Fortunately, there are many over-the-counter, easy-to-use flea and tick control products available at your local pet store to help you win the war against fleas. We will list two examples for your reference below. Most of these flea control products will also control ticks.

First, the Farnam Company offers Bio Spot Flea & Tick Control, which is a good spot-on topical flea killer and repellent. One spot application on your dog’s or cat’s back will combat fleas for up to three months. This product uses the natural oils in your pet’s coat to repel and attack fleas, and the flea does not have to bite your pet to be affected.

This product works well enough and fast enough for light to moderate flea infestation problems, when you probably do not want to or need to spray/treat your entire house or yard. Simply treat your pets. Fleas jump on pets, fleas die.

Next, the Adams Company makes a carpet and furniture spray which kills fleas in all their four stages from egg to adult. Just one good application can destroy the entire flea population in your home. There is also Adam’s yard spray, which is usually used around your dog’s kennel area to prevent the dog from bringing fleas back home from outside. This product is good if you have moderate to heavy flea infestation.

It is important to thoroughly and carefully read the labels, directions, and warnings on your flea/tick control product. You may need to consult with your local pet store and your veterinarian before using the product on your pet, especially if your pet is very young, elderly, pregnant, sick, or known to have a lot of allergies. Also make sure never to use flea and tick products designed for dogs on your cat, or vice-versa.

There are also some alternatives or supplements to the above pesticide products for controlling fleas and ticks:

• Comb your pet regularly with a flea comb
• Vacuum frequently and dispose of the bags immediately after use
• Mow areas of the lawn where your dog spends time
• Wash pet bedding and your pet regularly, say weekly
• Try to keep indoor cats and dogs in the house at all times

Protecting your pet (and your home) from fleas and ticks is an important part of responsible pet keeping.

Excessive shedding in dogs and cats is such a common thing that most people generally consider it normal for their pet to constantly shed and leave a trail of hair everywhere they go. In reality, excessive shedding is not normal and can lead to a number of problems if not treated. Fortunately, there are also simple solutions to treat and prevent excessive shedding.

First of all, let us see exactly what shedding is. Almost all dogs will shed some hair normally and naturally. Shedding is affected by, and may also be triggered by, weather changes, stress, and sometimes diet and care. Some breeds will tend to shed more than others.

Shedding caused by changes in the weather is considered normal and accounts for most shedding. Normally, most dog breeds will develop a thicker coat during the winter months, then shed that winter coat in the upcoming spring or summer months, just like many animals in the wild do. However, the shedding is excessive and unnatural if your dog is shedding year-round! Healthy coats should be tight and shiny, and fur should not fall out easily.

Now, why exactly is excessive shedding bad? In dogs, excessive shedding often leads to physically unpleasant results such as matted and tangled hair, visible hair loss such as bald spots, and a dull coat. Sometimes, if severe excessive shedding is left untreated, it can also lead to certain skin problems and disorders such as dry, itchy or flaky skin, smelly skin, dermatitis, and rashes.

Excessive shedding also causes problems for the dog owner. Owners of excessively shedding dogs often have their hands filled with messy hair every time they pet their dog, and their homes tend to be covered with a fine coat of dog hair year-round.

Most of the problems above encountered by dogs can also occur in cats. There is, however, one additional problem unique to cats with excessive shedding – hairballs.

If the cat has excessive amounts of hair to shed, it will want to lick the excess hair off. This hair then usually gets into the cat’s stomach or throat, resulting in a retching cat that coughs up smelly, sticky hairballs. So, how do you prevent or get rid of excessive shedding and hairballs, and the unpleasant problems that can result for both owner and pet?

First, one of the nicest things you can do for your cat or dog is to brush or comb its fur on a regular basis using a pet rake or slicker brush. This is helpful if you want to keep excess hair and matting from bothering you and your pet. A bonus advantage is that most pets also enjoy being brushed. Regular brushing , up to once-a-day, is good for the hair coat and will remove those hairs that would normally fall out.

It is certainly better and easier to have the hairs come out on the brush than around the house. If you bath your pet, do not use human shampoos because they can cause hypersensitivity reactions that include excessive shedding. Bathing too frequently can also dry out the hair coat and cause excessive shedding, so do not bath your pet too often.

Secondly, as mentioned earlier, diet is very important to the health of your pet’s skin and hair, and is a factor that can affect shedding.

Always make sure that you feed your pet a complete and balanced diet. Some companies provide special pet products that you can add to your pet’s food to help prevent excess shedding. Allen’s Shed-Stop and Lambert Kay Shed Relief are just two of these helpful products. Science Diet, Nutro, and Iams pet food companies also make foods to help the skin and coat of dogs and foods to help with hairballs and shedding in cats.

As you can see, proper nutrition and a bit of regular hair care can turn a constantly shedding coat into a tight, shiny coat that will not fill your hand with messy hair every time you pet your cat or dog. You will also have less mess and hair around your home, and you will have a happier and healthier pet!