The Australian summertime is upon us! Whilst some areas of Australia have arelatively mild summer, others by comparison endure a few months of extremelyhot and humid conditions. It is important that pet owners take extra careduring this time to ensure that family pets are staying nice and cool. Justlike humans, it is important to remember that your pet’s are also at risk ofheatstroke, dehydration and stress during the summer months.
Dogs
You will most likely notice that your dogs activity levels will change when itis too hot outside. They will be less likely to jump of the couch to greetyou, or slow to move on the lead if you take them for a walk. Panting anddrooling can be a sign of heatstroke, so it is important to take it seriouslyand consider a few things to make them more comfortable during the summerseason.
Change your walking times – Consider taking your pooch for a walk in theearly mornings and later evenings. As a general rule, if you can’t hold yourbare hand on the hard ground surface for longer than 5 seconds, then it is toohot for your dogs paws!
Give them a cool bath – There’s nothing like a nice dip in thesummertime to cool you down! You can give you pooch more regular, cool, bathsduring summer, or invest in a small shell-style pool from Bunnings so thatthey can splash in the water and cool off during the day.
Provide lots of shade and water! – This is one of the most importantones. If you are not home during the day, it is vital that your pet hasadequate share to rest in, and lots of water to drink. Be mindful that whileyou are gone, they could knock their water bowl over, so make sure they havemore than one supply.
Frozen treats – freezing various dog-safe foods is a great way to keepthem cool in summertime. You can even add ice to their paddle pool for someextra fun!
Grooming – Keep their coat well brushed and groomed. This will help keepthem cool by removing unwanted layers of dead coat, and you could considertrimming areas with a lot of hair such as around the face and under the belly.Have a chat to your local dog groomer and they will be able to help you decidethe best way to keep your pet cool during summertime.
Cats
Like dogs, cats will feel the heat and start to slow down during thesummertime. If you see them gravitating towards your fans, windows, or doors,then they are feeling the heat!
Keep them inside – Even if they have an outdoor enclosure and are usedto being outdoors, when the temperatures are soaring bring them inside wherethey can be in the air conditioning or in front of a fan.
Plenty of water – Just like dogs, it is important to make sure that yourfurry feline has plenty of fresh water to drink around the house to last themthrough the day.
Frozen treats – Many cats also enjoy icy treats! You can even freezesome of their wet food into a small iceblock and pop it into their food bowlto enjoy.
Somewhere cool to lay – We all know how much cats love to nap….! Makesure they have somewhere cool to lay, that is not the carpet or couch. Theywill most likely want to stretch out on a tiled area to help them stay cool ifthey are not in airconditioning.
__Small Creatures
All small creatures are sensitive to the heat. Pets such as rats, Guinea pigsand birds will need to be placed somewhere cool, preferably indoors, when theheat is extreme. You can set up a fan to blow on their cage to keep them cool,bring them into an air-conditioned room, or place some ice in their cage toplay with and chew on.
Provided by Australian Pet Care Association (APCA) – Become a member with usat https://www.australianpetcareassociation.com.au/membership/application/ orcontact us anytime by emailing [email protected]
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