It’s summertime! Everybody is looking for the lightest thing to wear; a pair of sandals and perhaps shorts.
While it’s the best time to buy sunscreen and hit the beaches, don’t forget your pet. Are you aware of the dangers of extreme heat to your animal friends? It would help if a pet owner found creative ways to cool their pet this summer. It’s not only about comfort, but also safety and overall good health. If it’s too hot for you, it’s also too hot for your pet.
So, what do you do to cool your pet this summer?
Water and Shade
Water bears the magic of all life. But, summer causes a high risk of dehydration for pets. So if you’re drinking more water than usual, ensure you increase the water intake for your pet as well. And not just any kind of water, but give pets some cool freshwater.
Additionally, ensure you allow your pets to rest under shady areas. If you’re taking a walk outside with your pet, make sure you stop over a few times. Look for a shade for the animal to relax under. Besides, who likes walking in the heat all day?
Stay Indoors
Though it’s tempting to take a walk with your pet outside, staying indoors is safer during summer.
While pets like cats are natural sunbathers, it is better for them to stay inside during the day. Besides, it would help to free caged pets like hamsters, once in a while when inside the house. This gives them a chance to cool their bodies by rolling on the cool floors, especially tiled ones. Cages get hot, so being outside would help them keep cool.
Furthermore, you could get a fan. There are good fans that would work great in keeping your pet cool. Also, you could make a cool place for them to sleep, like cool mats, or remove the carpet and have them lie on the floor.
Avoid Cars
If it’s a must for you to step out on one summer day, it’s safer to leave your pet at home. This is better than bringing them along and locking them in the car.
Leaving pets in the car has been a cause for many tragedies. Though you think of leaving the window slightly open, the heat in the car can spike in a short time, even up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Such conditions are deadly to a pet.
Have Knowledge
While extreme heat is a common cause of sunburn in humans, pets suffer from heatstroke. As a medical emergency, heatstroke requires instant treatment by the vet.
Common symptoms of heatstroke are hot, dry skin, vomiting, exaggerated panting, high fever, rapid heartbeat, staring, and anxious expression.
With good knowledge of heatstroke, you’ll keep watch of any similar symptom. For pets, heatstroke accelerates very fast, especially under hot and humid conditions. So, summertime isn’t always a fun time for pets!
Be Creative With Supplies
If your pet has difficulty drinking more water in summer, use some tricks with good pet supplies. How so?
Buying a cute and colored water bottle with pictures of a similar pet gives the pet a sense of ownership and anticipation to always use the bottle.
Also, you can get a ball and ice cubes to play fetch. So, throw the ball and ice cubes interchangeably to make it enjoyable, though it’s a trick to have the pet take water.
Ensure you throw a good size ice cube at your pet and ask them to lick it until it disappears.
You also don’t want to prolong playing the trick. Often, too many ice cubes can make your pet catch a cold. Still, pets tend to get bored quickly with one thing done for an extended period.
The bottom line is getting attractive and useful supplies that encourage the pet to stay cool.
Minimal Exercise
Concerning the above point, an extreme heat condition is not the ideal time to make your pet do different tricks such as ‘fetch’.
Preferably, reduce the length of exercise times. Instead, stick to having them in the cooler parts of the day-either morning or evening.
Also, ensure walk time involves gentle paces with adequate water intake. Generally, watch out for the signs of overheating during any preferred exercise with your pet friend.
Paw Care
Normally, most pawed pets have a natural cooling system. The toes and the bottom pad especially keep it cool for a dog. That’s why sometimes you should allow your dog to play in water around the garden sprinklers or baby pools.
Moreover, these footpads act as protection. Unlike the skin on human’s feet, the dog’s feet pad protects them from burns on overheated pavements.
However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t mind where your dog walks on. Try touching the surface with your finger or palm. And if it’s uncomfortable, walk the pet somewhere else. Better still, you can choose to buy dog booties. If it’s uncomfortable for you, it is for your dog too.
Grooming
Grooming over the summer should not always mean complete shaving. Sometimes, trimming a few inches can help your pets stay cool. Better still, a good trim allows adequate insulation against sunburns.
Plus, it would be best not to do the trimming yourself but let a professional handle the task. Talk to a stylist about a suitable cut for your pet that is both functional and good-looking.
Yes, even pets have hairstyles! After all, who wants to step out with a hideous-looking pet?
Parting Shot
Imagine walking around with a fur coat in hot weather! So, when you complain of the discomfort of the hot weather, think about how your pet is taking it. Remember that hot weather can be brutal not just for people but for other creatures too.
Though most animals have natural ways of keeping cool in extreme heat, it wouldn’t hurt to help them. Besides, aren’t pets man’s best friends?
If it takes buying stuff to help with the cooling, don’t hesitate. Above all, learn all the risks and how to prevent pets in overheated conditions.
