Many of us love summer and look forward to those warm, long days. But spare a thought for your pet who might not enjoy the warmer weather as much as you do. Pet owners have to take special care in summer months that their pets are comfortable in the high temperatures.
Your pet needs to have somewhere cool and shady to retreat to. Dogs and cats will appreciate the shade of a large, leafy tree or a cool veranda. The enclosures of pets that are caged, such as rabbits, guinea pigs or birds, must never be in direct sunlight. If you have a bird or fish, keep in mind that even sun on a mild day streaming through a window can be hot enough to harm your pet. And make sure that a cage that isn’t in the sun in the morning stays that way as the sun and shade moves during the day.
Your pet will need a good supply of cool, clean water in hot weather, especially since they’ll be drinking more in summer. If your pets are solo through the day, leave more than one container of water for them in case one lot is knocked over. If your pet is locked in a house or shed during the day, the space needs to be well ventilated and don’t forget how hot a steel structure such as a shed or garage can get on a warm day.
Most pet owners know how dangerous a hot car can be for their animal friends. Even on a moderately hot day, an unattended dog (or other pet) in a parked vehicle can die in as little as four to six minutes. It only takes a couple of minutes for the temperate inside a car to double and for heat stress to begin affecting your pet. Having the car windows open does little to alleviate the temperature, and just means there’s the added threat of your pet escaping (possibly straight onto a busy road).
Animals suffering from heat exhaustion will pant, lie on their side, and be listless and disoriented. In severe cases they may become unconscious. If you think your pet is suffering from heat exhaustion it must be cooled promptly. Put the animal in a cool and shady area. Damp it down with tepid water (never ice) and fan the animal. Contact your nearest veterinarian urgently but do not transport the animal in a hot car. Only place it in a vehicle that has air conditioning or is cool and airy. Keep the animal damp, with cool air playing over its body during the car trip. If your pet is conscious, offer cool — not cold — drinking water. Do not allow your pet to gulp large amounts of water.
If you have an elderly or very young pet, be mindful in summer that they are more susceptible to heat and take extra care of them. Try to walk your dog after sundown on hot days, no matter how much they love their late afternoon jaunts! Concrete and footpaths can heat up so much that they can burn a dog’s feet.
With a little extra care and thoughtfulness, both you and your animal friend can have a good time this summer.
For more great pet info, visit www.petnet.com.au
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
