Its Crazy Hot!
Hot Weather Safety Tips

Provide Fresh & Clean Water

When temperatures soar outdoors or the humidity rises our pet family can get dehydrated quickly!  Make sure that there's plenty of shade for your pets to hide from the sun, give them plenty of clean cool but not cold water, and be careful to keep them indoors or in conditions with airflow (fans for example) when its not possible to bring them inside.

Know What Symptoms Overheated Pets Display

Do you know if your pet is overheated?  Signs and symptoms include: excessive panting, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, drooling, weakness, or collapse.  Extremely overheated pets can display seizures, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and a body temperature of 104 or above.  If your pet displays any of these symptoms, immediately get them in a cooler environment, encourage them to drink water, place a wet rag over top of their body or emerge them in a body of water and call the vet!  

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Avoid the Heat, Do This Instead:

• Walk Your Dog In the Morning Before 10am or in the Evenings After 5pm

• Walk Your Dog on Grass or in Shaded Parks Rather than on Pavement

• Reserve Outdoor Playtime for Mornings or Evenings

• Keep Your Pet Indoors

• Provide Air Conditioning When Possible or

• Place a Bowl of Ice Infront of a Fan to Increase Cooler Air Flow

• Avoid Leaving Pets on Balconies in Hot Weather (They heat up like cars!)

• Create Frozen Paw-sicles for Your Pet Family to Enjoy

• Avoid Shaving Your Pet for Warmer Months (Their fur coat naturally protects against sunburn and helps insulate them from temperature extremes!)

• Provide Cool Water Throughout the Day (even add a few ice cubes!)

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Additional resources to learn more can be found here or here.

Do NOT Leave Pets Alone in a Parked Vehicle

Did you know that the temperature inside of a parked car can reach dangerously high temperatures in relatively mild temperatures in the 60°s or 70°s?  Temperatures can climb 20°F in just 10 minutes.  More than 250 pets die every year due to being locked in a hot car.  That quick trip to the grocery store or a quick stop in with friends can become deadly in literal minutes.  Even leaving a window cracked does not provide enough airflow!  

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Instead of taking your pet along in the car, consider:

• Leaving Pets at Home

• Bringing a Friend/Family Along to Keep the Pet Safe While You're Out of the Car

• Use Drive-Thrus for Errands Where Pets Must Be Present

• Go to Pet Friendly Stores Where Your Pet Can Go In With You

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Do NOT Leave Pets Unsupervised Around a Pool or Body of Water

Pools and large bodes of water can be dangerous for our pet friends!  Avoid letting them drink from the pool/ocean and watch out for:

• Undiluted Pool Chemical Ingestion (Causes Ulcers in Mouth, Throat, Esophagus)

• Salt Water Ingestion (Causes Hypernatremia Leading to Dehydration, Seizues, Etc)

• Sunscreans/Bug Spays Should Not Be Applied Topically or Ingested By Pets

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Have fun with your pet family out and about in the warm weather.  Just remember, pets aren't people and as much as we love on them, what can be good for us can be deadly for them.  Learn what's not safe for your pet and take care to avoid those situations around the next pool, lake, or ocean you visit.