Summer Care for pets, Geelong
February 2, 2016Help your pets beat the heat this Summer.
This year we’re told that Summer is going to be long and hot. Which means that we need to be prepared early to help our pets cope with the heat. We also need to be extra vigilant against the summer nasties such as snakes, puffer fish on the beaches, heat stroke, fireworks and leftovers from BBQs.
To help you negotiate your way safely through summer please read our Summer Care hints below.
During summer your pets need:
Plenty of fresh water out of the hot sun – Provide wading pools for dogs and place frozen bottles of water in hutches and enclosures for pocket pets. Our pets can’t sweat and need access to water and frozen treats to help them cool off.
Bathing, brushing & clipping – because pets can’t sweat, a short, knot free coat will help them stay cool.
Suncreen – yes, I did say sunscreen! Pets with pink ears and noses need UV protection as they have a higher risk of developing skin cancer lesions. Dog rash vests are also good to protect the pink stomachs of dogs that sun worship on their backs.
Shade – Bring pocket pets and birds inside on hot days or move their enclosures into the shade and cover with wet towels to cool them down.
Seek veterinary help immediately for:
Puffer fish – puffer fish are fatal to dogs! They have a toxic gland between their eyes that can cause death within minutes, even if the fish is dead. If your dog picks up a puffer fish rinse out their mouth immediately with water (even sea water is better than none) and make your way to the closest vet.
Snakebite – if you know or suspect that your pet has been bitten by a snake you need to seek veterinary help as soon as possible.
Heatstroke – overheating during the warm weather causes muscle spasms, seizures and organ damage leading to death. Overweight pets, older dogs, brachycephalic breeds (pugs, boxers, Persians etc) are at the most risk as they have greater difficulty breathing and cooling off in summer. Pocket pets are also very susceptible to heat stroke – make sure enclosures are in the shade.
Don’t forget:
Apply monthly flea control – the warmer weather means more fleas! Keeping on top of your flea control is very important during summer – speak to our staff to the get product best suited to your pet/s.
Give seasonal worming prevention – intestinal worms need to be treated every 3 months to break the breeding life cycle. When did you last worm ALL your pets? Yes, your birds and pocket pets need worming too.
Never leave your pets in a hot car – I know you’ve heard this before but it can take less than 7 minutes for a pet to die in a hot car, even with the windows down.
Medication for pets with thunder and fireworks phobias – Does your cat or dog shiver and shake through storms and fireworks? Do they become destructive or so scared that they run away? Don’t let them suffer this summer. See our vets NOW to have a plan and possibly medications on hand to help them through.
And lastly…..
Don’t share your bbq or chocolate – Summer and Christmas sees alot of pets coming to hospital because of sharing humans treats that just aren’t good for them!
Please think before you place any chocolates under the tree – pets like to “investigate” nice smelling presents.
Likewise sharing your bbq meat, kebabs, bones and left over Christmas ham is not recommended – we see pets hospitalised with gastric upset, constipation and pancreatitis from sharing the family bbq. Pets aren’t meant to share these types of fatty meals and cooked bones are dangerous as they are difficult to process.
