The warm weather brings plenty of opportunities to have some fun in the sun for you and your pets but the heat also brings hazards such as dehydration and sunburn. Here are a few tips to keep your pets safe during the summer:
- Never keep dogs in a hot car
- Apply pet friendly sunscreen to exposed parts of skin including noses, ears and paws especially on white and light-coloured cats and dogs
- Put shoes or a layer of pet wax on dog’s paws to prevent burns and take walks early in the morning or late in the day when it’s cooler and on grass rather than on the hot pavement
- Keep pets out of direct sunlight – don’t leave cages, runs or hutches in direct sunlight
- Give pets extra water – make sure you give your pets extra water during warmer weather, as they’ll drink more. You can also add ice cubes to their water to cool it down for them
- Give your small pets plenty of shade in their enclosures – remember, the sun moves during the day so areas that were shaded in the morning could be in full sun in the afternoon
- Open windows – for pets that live indoors, opening a window can allow a breeze in and help keep them cool
- Regularly groom your pets to get rid of dead hair – this helps keep them cool and gives you bonding time as well
- Freeze a semi-full plastic bottle of water and wrap it in a towel so your pets can lie against it. For rabbits and guinea pigs, you can leave this in their exercise areas. For small rodents, place it on the outside of their enclosure
- Know the signs of heatstroke – if you suspect your pet may be suffering from heatstroke, move them to a cool, shaded place, wrap them in a cool, damp towel and phone your vet immediately
