9 Important Summer Weather Safety Tips for Pets

Dogs and cats are very sensitive to the hot and dry summer weather. When letting your pets outside during the summer season, you need to take some easy precautions to help protect them from the heat and humidity. Here are 9 important summer weather safety tips for pets.

1. Place a dish of water outside and keep it filled with fresh water. Even though your pet doesn’t stay outside 24 hours a day, they still need fresh water to drink when they’re outside playing or doing their business.

2. On extremely HOT days, keep your pet outside for shorter periods of time. It’s better to take them out more frequently, for short periods of time than to let them out there in the sweltering heat.

3. If your dog starts panting and/or breathing heavily, it’s a sign that they’re over-heated. Bring them indoors immediately or spray them down with a hose to cool them.

4. Sidewalks and roadways heat up fast! Your pet’s paws are super sensitive to extreme heat or cold. Avoid walking your pet on these types of surfaces on extremely hot days.

5. Don’t let your pets in a locked car, not even for a few minutes or with the window’s cracked open. This inside temperature in an automobile is always much higher than the outdoor air temperature. Pets can get very sick and can die from the exposure to the extreme heat.

6. Limit your pet’s outdoor exercise during hot days! Instead, give them something physical to do indoors where it’s cooler.

7. If you and your pet are going to be spending time outside, make sure you find a nice shady area for them to spend time in. Just like humans, animals prefer the shade during hot summer days.

8. If your pet is going to be spending considerable time outdoors, consider applying a “pet” sunscreen to their skin. Just like humans, pets can get sunburn and skin cancer, so one of the best things you can do for your furry friends is to buy special sunscreen from a retailer like PETZOO to help protect them from the sun.

9. Protect your pets from fleas, ticks and mosquitoes! You can buy products at your local pet supply store or purchase products directly from your vet.

Dogs and cats are just like humans and are sensitive to the heat & humidity of summer. By taking these important precautions you can ensure that your pet will be remain healthy & happy during the summertime season.