HOT WEATHER and Pets

I have two new clients - boxers - who don't particularly care for the hot weather. Actually, dogs with shorter, "pushed in" snouts (such as bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, boxers, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus) can have a more difficult time getting enough air to cool down when it's hot and humid out. I did a little research on how the weather affects all pets and came up with a few tips:

• Never leave your pet alone in a parked car even for a few minutes. If you leave the window open, it's still not enough. Most of the newer cars have key FOBs that allow you to leave your car running and still lock the door. If you must leave your pet in the car (which is not advised, but sometimes you just HAVE to do it) for a short period of time, leave the car running with the air conditioner on and lock the car. If you feel that this is too risky in regards to having your car stolen, you shouldn't have your dog with you for the trip then.
• Always travel with water. Hours without water is not good when you're traveling. I always bring either a bottle of water and a container or I fill up a lidded plastic container with water and make sure the dogs have access to it often. If you're thirsty, your dog is thirsty. That's how I gauge it.
  
• Don't play outside during peak sun/heat hours or if it's exceptionally humid. Morning and evening are the best times. And for the love of God, don't play on asphalt when it's sunny! If you're not sure why, stand on it in your bare feet and you'll require no further explanation.
  
• Definitely don't play with your dog outside if it's very warm or humid right after a he/she has eaten. The explanation will bore you. Just don't. Trust me on this one.
• Never take your dog to the beach unless you can provide shade and fresh (not SALT) water. You should be able to provide both. If you can't, it's a potentially hazardous situation.
• Make sure your have screens on your windows and that they are secure. When it's warm, cats love to get in windows where they can be close to the outdoors. You don't want them to fall through. The same goes for "jumpy dogs" who love to leap at windows to get at things on the other side.
  
• Don't apply your sunscreen or insect repellent on your pet. Check with your veterinarian or a pet store and get sunscreen that can be used animals. Otherwise you're risking diarrhea, vomiting and possible neurological damage.
• The flip side of that is to check and see if your dog needs sunscreen. My border collie has a lot of pink skin showing on her snout, so if she was going to be in the sun for a long period of time, she would need it.
  
• You should never let your dog stick his/her head out the window when driving, but I know many people do (I'm often guilty of that!) If nothing else, at least don't permit it when you're driving on the highway, recently paved roads or gravel/dirt surfaces. It's too risky in regards to things flying in their eyes.
  
• Supervise your dog if you plan on letting him swim. Believe it or not, YOUR DOG COULD DROWN! Your dog isn't Michael Phelps.
• Last but not least, for all of the people who are like me and take their dog with them whenever they can, if you are going on a boat, put a flotation device on your dog. Seriously. Your dog isn't Mark Spitz either.

Justin and I love taking Sadie and Daisy with us whenever we can. On many Fridays he takes Sadie to work with him and I take Daisy to work with me. We both spend most of the day in the car, so our dogs do too. When we go camping, our dogs are camping with us. Since I started my business, I've become so much more informed in regards to pet safety. For every guideline listed above, there is a horror story that can be told about someone who didn't follow them and their pet suffered. Just keep that in mind.