The ... Cat Days of Summer?

As the temps soar, please don't forget your pets are affected by the heat as well. Here are a few tips on how you can help them beat the dog days of summer - and possibly save a life in the process.

Photo: depositphotos.com

Heat Stroke

Dogs and cats succumb to heat exhaustion and heat stroke far faster than people realize. And it can be fatal.


 Signs of heat stroke include (but are not limited to):

• body temperatures of 104-110F degrees
• excessive panting
• dark or bright red tongue and gums
• sticky or dry tongue and gums
• staggering
• stupor
• seizures
• bloody diarrhea or vomiting
• coma
• death

Please be aware of these danger signals and seek veterinary attention immediately. You may save your pet's life.

Allie insisted on going out the other day. As soon as I saw she was panting, she went right back inside.

Made in the Shade

Is your pet an indoor/outdoor pet? If so, make sure shade is available to your pet at all times. And always have water available for them.  It needs to be placed in the shade as well, and secured to avoid accidental spills.

Here's a fun summertime tip to help your dog beat the heat:

Freeze water or broth with a fave rubber toy inside. As the block melts and the toy is revealed, it'll encourage your pet to ingest more of the wet stuff, helping him to stay hydrated.


Hot Feet Alert!

When walking your pet, remember: paw pads are sensitive and can be burned from walking on hot asphalt. OUCH! Choose grass if possible.

Pavement Test:  Press the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt for 7 seconds. If it's too uncomfortable for you, it's too uncomfortable for your pet's paws. Why would you make your dog or cat do something you wouldn’t do?

Do you run regularly with your dog? Consider this: as the days get hotter, you alter your attire to compensate. Your faithful friend can’t – he’s wearing the same fur coat 24/7, 365 days out of the year.

In hot weather like much of the U.S. is experiencing, please…go running alone, and leave your dog back home where it’s cool & comfy.


Pets do not "call shotgun"
in the heat!

Does your dog love to ride in the car with you wherever you go? As much as you may love his companionship, please...leave your pet at home, not in the car.

cat in car: depositphotos.com

This is serious stuff, folks. Take a look at this study on the temps inside a closed car.  Don’t have time to click through and view? No worries – we’ll give you a quick sneak peek.

The study begins with data from inside a car when the outside temp is only 70 degrees. Ready for the car temp? Hold onto your hats. Within 30 minutes, the temp was an unbearable 104°.

Temperatures this summer have hit triple digits in many parts of the U.S. Wanna guess how hot the inside of a car will be on a day like that? 1-oh-DEADLY.

If you see a dog left inside a car, call 9-1-1 immediately! Then, if you can, locate the owner. At the very least, leave notice that what they are doing can have fatal consequences: the HSUS has a free downloadable flyer you can print out to leave on cars with pets left unattended.

We hope you find these tips helpful. Please feel free to share. Who knows? They may help save the life of a pet!

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More Fourth of July Pet Safety Tips

Today's special guest is Pita the Pocket Dog from the new series, Cocktails & Creativity, that airs every Thursday on the Hallmark & Community channel.

Consorting with a Chichuahua? We forgive you, Mommy.

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Monday Medical: Summer Pet Safety Part 2

Last week we talked about the dangers that summer storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes can present to our pets.

This week's Medical Monday is about the dangers lurking on a sunny day - namely the everyday things you might not think about that can harm both cats and dogs.

Although this infographic calls out dogs, cats can actually be in more danger from some of these than dogs. For instance, the common ingredient in many fertilizers is permethrin, the same ingredient in dog flea collars.

And while excessive exposure to this can indeed cause vomiting in your dog, it can be absolutely deadly for your cat. This nerve toxin is a killer - which is why it's imperative that you never, ever put a dog flea collar on a cat!

Both dogs and cats are attracted to coolant, and it takes far less to kill a cat, or a small dog, than it would a dog with a large body mass.

And heartworms?  Stay tuned for a special 2-part interview with Dr. Sara Huber on the very critical issue of heartworms in cats, on next week's Medical Monday.

We thank Petfinder for these great Infographics. Personally, we think these would make great posters for shelters, as well as library and pet store bulletin boards. Next time you're out shopping, why not suggest these?

Monday Medical: Summer Pet Safety Part 1

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, issued their 2013 forecast for hurricane season in the northern hemisphere - and it's an active one. They're predicting up to 20 storms deserving of a name, up to 11 of which will develop into actual hurricanes.

The scary news is they predict 3-6 of these hurricanes will be what they label "major" - a Catergory 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This prediction is above the norm for this year.

And although last month's Tropical Storm Andrea thankfully didn't claim any lives (that we heard of) it did spawn ten associated tornadoes and dump over a foot of rain in some spots. So even tropical storms are worth having an evacuation plan!

That's why we thought the Petfinder's Summer Infographic series was worth passing along to you.
We especially like the subtitle of this one:

 

We also feel this reinforces last Monday's post about the importance of microchipping. You cannot predict when tragedy might strike, and microchip databases are fantastic places to input important veterinary and medical information, too.

Personally, we think these would make great posters for shelters, as well as library and pet store bulletin boards along the coasts and in places most commonly in the path of hurricanes. If you are in such a location, why not suggest these?