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Rising Heat Means Rising Risks For Pets - 5 Tips To Safety.

By: Danie Baptiste

For most people, the start of the summer is a happy event. There will be pool parties, barbecues, and many trips to amusement parks.

But for our beloved pets, facing rising temperatures without precautionary measures in place could lead to premature death, one that could be avoided.

Our pets are just as eager for some fun in the sun but just like for humans, we must remember to take some careful measures to ensure they can withstand the summer heat to avoid a host of other potential problems. Below are some life-saving tips:

Beware Of Lawns:

Neighboring lawns or large fields at parks should be one of the biggest concerns for pet owners, especially dog owners. The reason for this is due to pesticides, fertilizers, and insecticides being used by many homeowners to protect their lawns when warm weather arrives.

Plants:

There are certain plants and flowers, if ingested can be quite harmful to pets. As reported by the Humane Society of the United States, more than 700 plants has been named as producing toxic substances that can be harmful to animals.

You may even have some of them in your very own backyard such as apple trees (seeds can be harmful to an animal's health) and holy shrubs (berries fall into the poisonous category).

Although it may be impossible, as a pet owner, to avoid lawns entirely, be very mindful of the surrounding whenever you and your pet are out taking a stroll around the neighborhood.

Certain Temperatures Must Be Avoided:

It's only natural to want to take your pet along with you on routine errands once the warm weather returns. Taking car trips to the supermarket and the post office may seem relatively harmless but, in fact, it can turn into a very dangerous situation for your pet.

It doesn't take long for cars to heat up even when parked in the shade. The temperature inside a car can reach 120 F in a matter of minutes, as this is common on a hot day.

Pet owners will more than likely have the air conditioning on while they're driving - the AC is typically turned off once getting out of the car.

This leaves pets to sit in what rapidly becomes sweltering heat. The consequences are many: heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even brain damage can occur. The safest route to take is to, in general, during summer months, to leave your pet at home as you go out to run errands.

Heart Worm Protection/Symptoms Of Dog Worms:

During the winter, many pet owners stop giving their pets heartworm medication. You will find that most veterinarians are accepting of this because heartworm is transmitted through mosquitoes, which aren't present during the colder months.

A dry cough can sometimes be a sign of heartworm. Other worms might cause a decrease in weight or difficulty in gaining weight. Be sure to check your pet's stool as it may also contain worms as well. Pet owners should resume giving their pets the heartworm medication again once the weather heats up.

The reason for this is because heartworm is a blood disease that can be very painful for pets. At the point of infection, the heartworm lava can grow and turn into worms, which then live in the blood vessels surrounding the heart and lungs.

What comes next is the adult worms begin to mate and circulate throughout an animal's bloodstream. Since the cost of prevention is relatively low, many veterinarians are amazed at the prevalence of heartworm. Although heartworm is indeed treatable once an animal has been infected, such treatment can be excruciatingly painful for the animal.

But there is good news: This fate can be avoided. How? By simply giving your pet - although heartworm is most commonly transmitted to dogs, it can infect cats, too - heartworm medication long before the start of spring. To be on the safe side, continue the medication all year round.

The responsible pet owner will be careful to take mental notes of how much activity their pet can handle in warmer weather. Dogs with thick coats, short-nosed dogs, and senior dogs generally experience great difficulty handling a lot of activity as they normally do in other seasons.

This of course, is not a license for them not to exercise, but pet owners should be very mindful about when these types of pets get their exercise. The best times would be early morning or evening hours because the temperature is at its' coolest.

Avoid Summer Carnivals/Fairs With Pets:

For many pets, heat can cause them a great deal of stress. And if you add on the mixture of large crowds and loud noises, this can cause your pets to suffer from anxiety.

To be on the safe side, it is generally a good idea to leave pets in the home when attending such gatherings and this includes celebrations such as: Fourth of July fireworks as this can trigger anxiety in pets and should be avoided.

Article Source: http://article-kingdom.co.uk

Yves Marie Danie Baptiste is an expert publicity marketer and writer who takes great passion in using her skills to bring light to issues she feels needs greater awareness such as eradicating homelessness in the lives of children, fixing a broken veterans' benefits system, and last, but certainly not least.... the humane care of our furry loved ones. Visit: www.DogsDontDrinkCoffee.com

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