Keep Your Dog Safe With These Hot Weather Tips

Keep Your Dog Safe With These Hot Weather Tips

Whether it's summertime or it's simply always hot where you live, it's important to protect your dog from the ill effects of too much heat and from the other dangers associated with it. In this article, we'll discuss some of the things that you can do in order to keep your pet safe from harm.

Put Safety First

When it's warm outside, the lure of the outdoors is almost impossible to resist. It's a great time to go to the beach or to hit the trails for a leisurely walk through the woods. However, you also have to watch out for all sorts of hazards that could endanger the life or well-being of your pet. For instance, when going outdoors, it's probably best to keep your pet on a dog collar and a leash to prevent them from getting lost, from encountering dangerous wildlife or from running into possible physical hazards, whether it's a highway, a cliff or a dangerous body of water.

Make Drinking Water Available at All Times

Never leave your dog without water to drink. Twenty-four seven access to water is essential because not only does it help your dog keep cool, it also keeps them from becoming dehydrated. Access to water is also very important when taking your dog out for a walk. Consider bringing a regular or collapsible bowl with you so you can easily give your dog some water when they need it.

Walk Your Dog During Cooler Hours

It is important for your pet to get some exercise, but exposure to high temperatures can also endanger their health. You can limit your dog's exposure to heat by taking them out for walks only when it's cooler outdoors. In most places, this usually means avoiding the hours between 10AM and 4PM. Remember, bring along some water with you to keep your pet from becoming dehydrated.

Make Sure Your Dog Has Access to Shade

Exposure to direct sunlight can cause your dog to overheat very quickly. Therefore, make sure that they have access to shade at all times. Also take note that doghouses can be pretty problematic as they can get hot inside very quickly. To prevent this from happening, keep the doghouse in the shade, as well. Even better, consider building a door entrance for your pet so they can easily access both your yard and the indoors.

Never Leave Your Dog in a Parked Car

Leaving your dog inside a parked car is illegal in many places, and it's easy to see why. Temperatures inside a parked vehicle with all the windows closed can rise quickly, which can cause heat exhaustion in both dogs and people. This has led to the death of many dogs and small children. Also remember that rolling down the windows won't be nearly enough to cool down the vehicle. Just don't do it.

Avoid Hot Pavements

See to it that your pet never lingers for too long on hot pavement, especially if your dog loves sunbathing on your porch or driveway. Limit their sun exposure because heat from the ground can quickly raise their body temperature. When walking your pet, also keep contact with hot sidewalks or roads to a minimum because their paws can burn from the heat. Consider protecting your dog's paws with pet boots, or simply avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day.

Protect Your Pet from Parasites

Mosquitos and ticks are known vectors of diseases, like heart worm and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, respectively. These insect and arachnid pests typically balloon in numbers during the warm months, so make sure that your pet receives appropriate preventive treatments from your vet to keep them at bay.

When it's warm outside, it's a great time to have fun and to enjoy the outdoors. However, it's also important to take all the necessary steps to make sure that your pet is safe at all times. How about you? What safety tips can you share with others?

Written by Guest Author for The Healthy Moms Magazine and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.