Park Hill Vet: Summer Lovin’
Ways To Keep Your Pets Safe In The Heated Months Ahead
By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ
For the GPHN
As we recover from May rains and start an unpredictable summer, are your pets ready?
It’s time to make sure that the pets are safe from the seasonal threats of warm weather and summer bugs.
Here are the biggies:
1. The bugs of summer, including ticks and other parasites, are thriving. Make sure that your pets are protected. We’re seeing a significant rise in ticks at lower altitudes that carry diseases that can impact dogs, cats and humans, so topical or oral preventatives are recommended. Please get safe and effective products directly from your veterinary office or a written prescription, as some over-the-counter topicals are either ineffective or, for cats, could be toxic.
2. Heartworm prevention. Mosquito-borne heartworms are in all 50 states and rates of disease are rising in dogs. Make sure your dog has been heartworm-tested and is on a monthly preventative before the mosquitos arrive. Cats can also get heartworm, and if your kitty is an outdoor scrounger also consider heartworm testing and preventative for him or her as well. Additionally, all oral preventatives treat monthly against the common intestinal parasites that are on the rise locally and nationally.
3. Protect your dog against heat stroke. Exercise during the cool parts of the day. And, if Fido has been a winter couch potato, he’s going to need to build up in terms of training – just like their owner. Make sure that pets have adequate shade and access to water if they are staying outside while you are away from home. Also make sure you know the signs of heat stroke and have a contact for close-by emergency care if needed to prevent fatal complications.
4. Cars. Hot cars kill pets. If the temperature is above 72 degrees, your pet should not be left in the car. Even with the windows cracked, the temperature can rise in under 10 minutes to over 100 degrees inside a vehicle. If you must leave your pet briefly in the car, open the windows as far as able, park in the shade and open the sunroof. Then be really fast at your errand.
5. Antifreeze. If you are handy and change your own car fluids, use a pet-safe antifreeze product to prevent pet poisoning. The bright green ethylene glycol antifreeze tastes sweet and it only takes a very small dose to cause irreparable damage to your pets’ kidneys.
6. Water safety. Not all dogs are good swimmers, and a few are just not shaped right to swim well. When boating with a dog, make sure that he or she is outfitted with a dog life jacket. It will provide extra buoyancy to allow them to stay above water until they can be pulled back onto the boat or make a short swim to shore. If you have a swimming pool, make sure to keep it pet-safe. Prevent unattended access to the pool with fencing or a cover. You can also train larger dogs how to safely exit the pool, but still keep an eye on them. Also in lakes and slow water areas, check whether there are any warnings about blue-green algae overgrowth (even here in Colorado), as ingestion causes severe toxicity that can lead to death.
7. Summer travel. It’s a great time to be road-tripping and it’s also the time of year for moving. Check in with your veterinarian if traveling to get the names of veterinary practices along your route in case of an emergency. Get a small supply of anti-nausea or anti-stress medication if your pet is not a great traveler. If you are moving, your veterinarian can help provide names of potential new veterinarians in your new hometown, as well as provide copies of your pet’s medical history. And, the sight of the packing boxes can create anxiety so severe that calming medications may be needed.
Now, go enjoy a fun — and safe — Colorado summer with your furry family members.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit parkhillvet.com