With the onset of warm and sunny days, the owners of the dogs should not relax, because the animals are still subject to the dangers that await them on the street. The nature of the dangers varies from season to season, but in summer, dogs are more prone to hazards than in winter.
Summer danger for dogs
Heatstroke
Heat stroke, characterized by fever, accompanied by weakness, shortness of breath, vomiting, weak pulse, rapid breathing. You can avoid overheating of the dog, if you provide it with access to the shaded places on the plot, at home, during walking. Animals that love to dig the ground, do not need to prohibit it, because digging with cool ground in a shady place allows you to cool.
It is recommended to walk animals, and even more so to train, we are injured in the morning or late in the evening, when the air becomes cooler. Exercise intensity on hot days should be reduced.
In order to avoid overheating of the dog, it is advisable to use means of cooling the body, for example, cooling vests, mats.
It should be borne in mind that dark wool absorbs more heat. To alleviate the effect of heat on the animal’s body can be by cutting for the summer period of time.
Heat in the room
In case of poor air circulation in the living room, it is advisable to walk the dog in shady places in the hottest part of the day, rather than leaving it in a stuffy room. Outside, the air temperature is lower than inside a poorly ventilated room that heats up during the day from the sun.
For a comfortable location of the dog and people in the room should take a number of simple measures, some of them will not be a discovery, but still worth mentioning about them.
- Thick curtains drawn during the day prevent sunlight from penetrating and heating the air in the room.
- The window open for the night – a known way to fill the heated room with a night coolness. The use of a fan in addition to open windows will allow moving hot air, thereby filling the room with fresh and cool air.
- Electronic devices generate a certain amount of heat. Turning off unused electronic devices will avoid deterioration of the already stuffy atmosphere in the room.
- Preparation for the summer includes the removal of carpets and other similar flooring. Pets are often cooled while lying on a cool bare floor.
- Change bedding dogs. Instead of a thick, warmed stove, you can purchase a cot or a bed with a fabric stretched over the frame that does not contribute to the heating of the body. By the way, a fan can be installed under such a clamshell. Cooling mats and stove benches are on sale, which inside contain a filler that absorbs moisture and gradually gives coolness to the body, or cooling elements that react to pressure, and are activated when the dog lies down on the stove bench.
Dehydration dogs
In the heat of the dog often suffer from thirst, especially if they like to run, actively spend time. Overweight animals are at a higher risk of dehydration. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the pet has the opportunity to quench their thirst not only indoors, but also outdoors. Cool drinking water should always be freely available. When going out, you should take a bottle with drinking water for your pet and offer the animal water every half hour or more often in case of active walks. The presence of bottled drinking water will eliminate the pet’s desire to drink from alternative water sources, for example, from puddles.
The animal can be interested in the consumption of liquid by adding ice cubes, fresh fruit, and berries to the water. Another way to cool the pet and eliminate the risk of dehydration is to give the animal frozen beef or chicken broth with slices of vegetables or homemade ice cream that is safe for dogs.
Seasonal allergies
During the summer, the air is filled with potential allergens, such as mold spores, pollen, etc. Fleas can also cause allergies, and their saliva also contains allergens. An allergic reaction is manifested by reddening of the skin, itching, causing itching – all this causes discomfort. Therefore, knowing about the pet’s tendency to allergies, you need to undergo a course of treatment in advance, as well as keep with you the antihistamines advised by the veterinarian.
Hot weather and cars
Do not leave the dog in the car on a warm day. Even a slightly open window, leaving the car in the shade, having a bowl of water will not help to avoid overheating in the heat. In just 10 minutes of being in a car in hot weather, an animal can get a heat stroke.
Harmful substances
Green areas in settlements, as well as in private areas are treated with chemicals from insect pests or as a preventive measure for plant diseases. It is important not to allow the animal to the treated areas or to ensure that the substances are safe if the green space is treated in a private area.
In the city, dogs should not be allowed to drink from puddles; substances that are toxic to the body, such as lube oil and gasoline, accumulate in them.
Plants
In summer, plants can carry danger to dogs, both street and domestic, with a toxic effect on the animals’ bodies. Pets for a walk sniff everything that comes their way, and sometimes try to tooth. The juice of some plants (garlic, hops, horsetail, jasmine, rite, lanthanum, clover, euphorbia, autumn crocus, etc.) can cause irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, in severe cases poisoning, leading to death. The same can be said about the mushrooms that an animal can taste in the forest.
Running in tall grass or on mowed dry grass is dangerous in that seeds, grass particles can get into the eyes, ears, and airways, as well as dig into the paw pads. Foreign bodies lead to inflammation, difficulty breathing. Therefore, after each walk, it is important to inspect the pet.
Waters
Most pets love to swim and feel great on the water. Bathing is a great way to cool. To this end, the owners are trying to force the dog to enter the water. But some pets do not like water, do not know how to swim. In such cases, you can not force the animal to go into the water, to accustom the dog to the water and learn to swim gradually.
If the pool is large and deep, then you should not let an inexperienced dog swim too far. It is advisable to use a life jacket.
Picture Credit: Jonathan Borba