Marley
#1 The Heat:
Like ourselves, animals can get dehydrated and overheat when it is hot out. Unlike us, lots of animals (Dogs!) do not know when to stop while going full blast in the heat. So keep this in mind when exercising your pet during the heat of the day. It is best to have them play in the early morning or in the evenings.
Have plenty of water available for your pet ALL DAY LONG, as they will need more than normal in the high heat.
Groom and brush your dogs and especially cats often when it is hot out. This will keep them more comfortable, and for cats, this will help keep the hairball problem under control.
Asphalt, your driveway for instance, can get very hot and is painful for animals to walk across. Do not walk them on the street or on concrete and asphalt, stick to the grass.
#2 Inside Vehicles:
NOT!! An animal should Never be kept in a vehicle unattended.
And absolutely… If it is near 70 degrees or over you should not be keeping an animal in a car unattended for any period of time. Period! 75 degrees outside can easily be 120 degrees in the car. Imagine when its 90 outside!
#3 The 4th of July:
Never fire off any firework with your animal present in the yard or immediate area! This is just stupid.
Keep your animals inside during all firework times. Keeping them in a closed room, with water and a T.V. or radio playing is preferable. Also they should have a place to hide, under a bed or closet perhaps. Check on them often.
Clean up all of your firework debris so your curious animals do not ingest them the next day. Burned up pin wheels are not good for the digestion! Yuk!!
#4 Outside at night?
Only if necessary. And NEVER all night long!
Especially in Rural areas keep your animals inside after dark, or go outside with them, if they do have to go out. Lots of dangers at night, especially for small dogs and cats including Cars, Coyotes, Fox, and even Owls!
Animals, especially Cats are also harder to see by vehicles at night, and we all know they like to wonder off at times. Dogs should always be accompanied and leashed, or in a fenced yard at night.
Thank you for reading this Pet Portraits By Cy blog post.
Marley, (Above frolicking in the Puget Sound with a Frisbee) and myself, both hope you and your animals have a fun and SAFE Summer!
