With Monday’s Memorial Day behind us, and the unofficial start of summer is here. As the days become longer and the temperatures warmer, it is important now than ever to make sure we are all paying special attention to our pets in the summer heat. Whether you are taking your best friend on a stroll through the park or playing fetch in the backyard, pets of all shapes and sizes can easily overheat and become dehydrated.
As veterans within the veterinary industry, our team has compiled three top suggestions that are often overlooked to take advantage of to keep your dogs healthy and safe during those sweltering dog days of summer.
Take advantage of the shade.
If you can, try your best to walk your pets in an area that has several trees, buildings, or structures that can provide shade. You and your pets are less likely to overheat and become dehydrated when the temperatures are cooler in the shade than they typically are when in direct contact with sunlight.
Divide up the duration of activity into sections throughout the day.
Secondly, it’s a great idea to split up the length of time that you are outside with your pets. Nobody wants to run a marathon outside in the middle of the day when the temperature is the warmest, your pets don’t want to be outside running around in that heat either. Take advantage of cooler temperatures in the afternoon and evening in short 15 or 30 minute sessions instead of a 1 hour session over your lunch break.
Bring along fresh, and cool water along with you.
Finally, one thing that I often overlooked - is regular hydration. Pets of all shapes and sizes aren’t able to keep as hydrated as their owners and when going on a simple afternoon walk or after running around in the backyard, they can easily become thirsty! Be sure to bring along a bowl or water bottle along with you during these upcoming summer months. It’s going to be a warm one, and we want to make sure everyone says healthy and safe this summer and for summers to come. As much as our team loves pets, we hate to see them when they are suffering from conditions that could be easily prevented.
