Beat the Heat – The most obvious (and the most harmful) aspect about the summer is the significant increase in temperature that we experience. While it means swimming pools, iced teas, and beach days for us, for our Pets it means a struggle to stay hydrated and avoid heat exhaustion. Luckily, there are many things you can do to prevent your pet from falling victim to a heatstroke or any such heat-related illness. Ensuring you keep your pet has access to water throughout the day, keeping your pet out of the heat, and not overexerting them makes a great deal of difference.
Beware of Bug Bites and Stings – In addition to the usual flea, ticks, and mites that your pet needs protection from, there are a host of other creepy crawlies that scurry around, ready to sting or bite your pet. Studies show that pets are twice as likely to be a victim of a bug bite or sting in the summer months, and about 1/4 of these “attacks” are perpetrated by bees! While stings and bites are usually just uncomfortable and relatively harmless, sometimes they can be poisonous and/or venomous, requiring an emergency trip to the vet in order to receive treatment. Even if the sting/bite isn’t inherently toxic, it could spark an allergic reaction in your pet which could possibly result in them going into anaphylactic shock, which could be fatal if not treated right away. Symptoms to look out for are nausea, difficulty breathing, disorientation, lethargy, and any other kind of unusual behavior. To avoid these kinds of dangers, make sure that you don’t take your pet into an area that is heavily populated with harmful bugs, and try to watch your pet as much as possible when it is alone in your backyard. Another thing to look out for is dead bees that are on the ground as they can still sting your pet if they step on it!
Skin Safety Is Crucial – Especially if your pet already has sensitive Skin, and/or is prone to skin infections, you must make sure to keep an eye on your pets’ skin in case they are having a reaction of some kind. Around spring time, many pets begin having skin issues related to the allergens, bugs, and plants that the warmer seasons tend to bring. For many pets, the change in air pressure, temperature, and moisture also cause their skin to become inflamed, dry, itchy, and greasy. In the summer, pets are 16% more likely to have a skin-related illness, so it’s important to stay cognizant of the symptoms that accompany skin infection or issues. Look out for any abnormal scratching, biting, chewing, and/or licking of your pet’s paws, backside, stomach, or any other part of their body. If you notice an area that is irritated, or if you see that your pet’s fur is missing in a couple spots, it probably has some kind of skin issue.
Get the Grapes and Corn Cobs Out of Sight – Grapes and their wrinkly counterparts are extremely toxic to dogs and cats. Making it vital to keep them hidden and out of reach to your fur children. If a dog or cat ingests Corn cob material, it can cause serious health problems. If the piece of corn cob gets lodged in the intestine, stomach, or colon there could be a bowel obstruction that needs to be treated by a vet. Not to mention, if the cob is lodged in the pet’s esophagus, then it could possibly choke to death. Corn cobs are extremely dangerous because they are completely indigestible (kind of like the corn that comes off of them) and they are also very rough in texture.
