Helping Pets Beat the Heat

Since the summertime heat has apparently arrived early this year, now is a good time to think about how the heat affects our furry friends. If your pet is kept outside, you must make sure they have shade and shelter from the heat, as well as plenty of cool, fresh water. Even if your furbabies stay inside during the day, they still need plenty of water to help them keep cool as the temperatures climb. 

A good way to entertain your dog, and keep them cool at the same time, is to freeze a couple treats covered in water, in ice cube trays. Simply give them a couple of the ice cubes to play with while outside.  They will enjoy a tasty treat once they lick the ice down far enough. Ice cubes in their water bowl will not only keep the water cool, it will encourage your pets to drink more water as they try to “catch” the cubes in their water. If your pets are like my furbabies, this trick will work for both cats and dogs. You can also buy frozen treats for your dogs in the freezer section at the grocery store. Or you can make you own at home by simply freezing baby carrots or apple slices. 

You can provide outdoor fun that will keep your pets cool. A kiddie pool in the back yard is a great source of entertainment for your dogs. If they like water, they will love being able to play in the pool. If they don’t like water, they will still enjoy watching the other furbabies get soaked. An added bonus is that you can use the leftover water on your plants and flowers. 

When the temperatures climb past the 90 degree mark, pay extra attention to your pet. They can get hot, even inside your house. If you are like me, you might raise the temperature in your home during the summer to save money on the power bill. If you do this, pay attention to whether or not your pet is panting inside your house. If I notice my furbabies doing this, I know I have to drop the temperature on my thermostat by a couple degrees to keep them comfortable.

And last but not least, do not leave your dogs in the car in the summertime!!!! I cannot emphasize enough just how DANGEROUS this is. Temps in a sealed car will escalate quickly and can easily top 100 degrees in mere minutes. It is not even acceptable to leave your dog in a hot car with the windows cracked while you run in the store for “just a minute.”  Even with the windows cracked, temps still skyrocket in your car. Try pulling your car into the sun and sitting in it with all the windows up and see just how long you last. Do not make your pets suffer through this. You are not doing them any favors by taking them with you if you intend to leave them in the car. Just leave them at home. It is better that they give you the sad face because you left them at home, rather than go with you and die in a hot car while you shop inside an air conditioned store. Be responsible and leave them safe, and cool, at home.