When the weather gets hot,
it's important to remember that there are some threats to our pets that are more common in the summer months.  Information and prevention are the most important steps you can take to keep your pets safe.
 
 
Protect your pets from summer threats with these 11 quick tips from the ASPCA.
1.  Made In The Shade
 Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it's hot outdoors.  Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot. Consider filling a child's wading pool so your pet can cool off.
2.  Know the Warning Signs 
Pets are unable to release heat by sweating like people do.  They pant as a way to expend heat and can overheat very easily. Symptoms of  overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with 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. 
3.  No Parking!
Never leave your animals alone in a parked car. On a hot day, a parked car can become a furnace.  Temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees in minutes, even with the windows open, and lead to fatal heat stroke.
4.  Make a Safe Splash
Not all dogs are good swimmers. Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when 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. 

5.  Summer Style

Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs' coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. Any sunscreen or insect repellent product used on your pets should be labeled specifically for use on animals.

6.  Street Smarts 
When the temperature is very high, don't let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close to the ground, your pooch's body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum. Go for walks either early in the morning or later in the evening.

7.  Avoid Chemicals 
When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. Keep citronella candles, oil products and insect coils out of pets' reach as well. Commonly used flea and tick products, rodenticides (mouse and rat baits), and lawn and garden insecticides can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. Call our office at (978) 422-6262 or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect your animal has ingested a poisonous substance. 

8.  Party Animals

Taking Fido to a backyard barbeque or party? Remember that the food and drink offered to guests may be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets.  Remember that the snacks enjoyed by your human 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, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol.

9.  Screen Test 
"During warm weather months,  we see an increase in injured animals as a result of High Rise Syndrome which occurs when pets, mostly cats, fall out of windows or doors and are seriously or fatally injured.  Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.

10.  Fireworks Aren't Very Pet-riotic 
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, and even unused fireworks can be hazardous. Many types of fireworks contain potentially toxic substances such as potassium nitrate, copper, chlorates, arsenic and other heavy metals.

11.  Visit the Vet 
A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm annually and stay on preventive medication all year round. Do parasites bug your animal companions? Ask us about which flea and tick control program would be best for your pet. 

Please visit us at  www.sterlingveterinaryclinic.com  to learn more about Summer Emergencies from

Dr. Chandler D. Fritz.

Your friends at
Sterling Veterinary Clinic