The Summer season is nearly upon us! Most of us can’t wait.
Don’t forget your canine companion(s) as some of them with the onset of summer is not always as appreciative. Hot days and long journeys can make the summer months something of a chore for some dogs, but doesn’t have to be the case.
Many Thanks to our friends from Dog’s Corner for sponsoring this Summer Fun With Your Dog post and helped us put together these 5 Tips to Ensure that Your Dog Remains Fit, Healthy and Happy During the Summer Months.
1) Hydrate – You should always ensure that your dog has access to water at all times. Make sure you change the water regularly so it remains fresh. It is important to keep your dog hydrated especially when going for a walk and/or traveling. I’ve shared with you on previous post that I have a “problem” of not drinking enough water. I’m been a picky drinker. Recently, mom made some Fruity Berry Ice Cubes to help and entice me to drink more water. My Thirsty Milo travel bowl has been very handy on our walks/travels.
2) Heat Stroke and Sun Burn
a) Did you know dogs are susceptible to heat stoke? It is a tragedy to see in the news that every Summer season dogs die of heat stoke. Dogs should always be provided with a shady area in to which they can retreat. If your dog enjoys hanging out in your backyard, make sure to provide him/her an outdoor bed. You may use some old dog beds and place in a shady part of the garden/yard.
b) Also, over exercising in the heat can potentially be fatal. Don’t presume that your dog will know when it has had enough. Dogs can be excitable and prone to over exerting themselves, if the weather is really hot, take measures to keep them calm until the heat has passed.
c) It shouldn’t need to be repeated, but – Dogs Should NEVER Be Left In Hot Cars. A small crack left open in the window simply isn’t enough. There can be no more horrific way for a dog to die, yet each year almost unbelievably, it still happens.
d) It’s not just heatstroke that you need to watch out for, dogs can suffer from sunburn too. And just as with humans, it’s the lightest which are most likely to suffer. Tips of nose, ears, mouth and the back are the areas most likely to burn. There are a variety of sunscreen lotion for dogs. When I lived in HI, I used a local all natural essential oil lotion. If you are unsure, make sure to check with your vet.
3) Burnt Feet – If it’s not the heat from above that is causing your dog discomfort, then it’s the heat from below! The soft padding of a dog’s foot is extremely sensitive. In the summer various outside surfaces, paving in particular, can become extremely hot, causing real discomfort for your dog. Be aware of how the surfaces in your immediate surrounding react in the heat. If it’s uncomfortable to your touch, then it’s going to hurt your dog. Walking on grass instead of on cement can provide comfort for your dog’s feet. I’m still on the mend with my allergies and decided to keep wearing my purple PAWz. It is safe to wear in the summer and protects me walking on hot cement/pavement.
4) Creepy Crawlies – Ticks and fleas are prolific in the summer months. Make sure your dog is fully protected. Summer is also the time when wasps and other stingers come out to play. A sting to a dog’s mouth or throat can be potentially fatal. Keep an eye out for what your dog is up to. Compost heaps and areas where there are lots of fallen fruits can be particularly dangerous for harboring wasp, so try and keep dogs away. Always take measures to prevent your dog from accessing any wasp nests which you know about.
5) Backyard Dining– Summer backyard dining is a favorite in our house. Lots of fun but for many dogs it can pose some serious health threats. It is hard for a dog to resist a piece of freshly cooked meat. Some dog are quick to sneak up and grab a cooked meat straight off the grill, causing a dog serious burns. Be extremely careful and be aware of your dog’s presence when cooking and dining outdoors. I usually have a set place where I can sit and watch my family eat. My Golden Begging Face does absolutely nothing …
How does your dog cope with Summer? Do you have any additional tips to share?
Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR
Well, Chi-Chi in inside with us kittehz and never walks anywhere (except for the yard!). She doesn’t have to worry about much of anything, but getting lazy! MOL MOL MOL!
Thanks fur sharing the great post. Mommy is very afraid that ticks and fleas will be awful this summer due to our mild winter. We are prepared for them!
Have a super sweet Saturday, Sugar. XOXO
Great tips Sugar! Hope you stay nice and cool this weekend!
Great tips! We’ve already had to pluck off some creepy crawly critters this summer. We are on top watch!
All so so important to watch out for to protect us dogs. Since I am a “constant” companion my MOM (like last night) does her shopping very late at night or into early morning so I can stay in the car.. Or she drops me off at Uncle Mikes house for the short trip to the store.
Blessings,
Goose
Hi Sugar,,,,
Thanks for some great info in your post. If I can add one more tip,,,,don’t be afraid to watch out for other dogs in your neighborhood too. If their best friends won’t be careful to protect them,,,we need to help them out to protect them.
Thanks for this great tips Sugar – We are always careful when we have a BBQ – I’m not one second alone in the backyard. Have a great weekend!
Here in AZ we pretty much quit the outdoor activities until October. The pups get early morning and late evening play time in the yard, but we come inside and focus on games and tricks. I’ve found I can set up a few pieces of agility equipment in the pool room to help spice up the day.
Sam
Those tips are so impawtant and I just love your booties!
The last point has always been are fear and in a small garden we think it is better not to have a BBQ. Have a super Saturday.
Best wishes Molly
Great PSA, Sugar. It can truly become unbearably hot here in the summer. Mom makes sure we always have plenty of fresh, cold water and we try to walk when it is the coolest. Sometimes we have to forego our walks for safety. Hope you and your Mom have a great fun summer.
Woos – Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Great info to share!
We are ever careful with Little Bit in the warm months. She only rides in the car if we are in the car. We don’t leave her by herself ever when the weather is warm. We go from point A to point B and she gets out with us. Little Bit is older now and she tells us what she wants or doesn’t want to do. Works for all of us and especially her.
Have a woof woof day Sugar. My best to your mom. 🙂
Wonderful advice! BTW, the sunburn is true cuz dad used to have an American Eskimo dog with a pink nose and she was always getting terrible sun burns!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Ambassadors of Love
I had forgotten about the danger of burnt feet. Thanks for the reminder! The sidewalks aren’t so bad because they are light in color and so reflect the sun. But road pavement and other darker colored concretes absorb heat. Try walking barefoot the next time you go for a walk and you will see what your dog has to go through.
we have to stay alert for creepy crawlies and ants, and Jake gets hot really fast, baby rarely gets hot. they both head for the door and say AC let me in… heat is a killer for dogs, thanks for reminding everyone… i have noticed both of ours are drinking a lot more water.
our mom keeps our water bowlS full of FRESH water… and she makes Flavor Ice fur us and we like to lay in front of the FANS…
We are glad you mentioned HOT FEETS…. you gotta be CAREFUL where you walk on hot summer days…
PeeS…. we have TWO special COOLING MATS in Jennifer Jeep… we lay on them and that really helps the AC out … beclaws sometimes driving down the road… the SUN shines in on MY Black furs and makes me extra hot.
Of course mom and dad never LEAVE us in the car alone on hot days…
THIS was a wonderful post Sugar. You are so very THOUGHTFUL.
We like to go into the air conditioned stores with our people. Most non food establishments around here welcome leashed dogs. It’s fun to shop and we NEVER wait in a hot car!
If it is a non-dog place, one of the pawrents stays with us, with the air conditioner running.
Wyatt and Stanzie
Summer is a great time, but you’re right about these very timely reminders!
Great points, Sugar. We are hoping the summer stays on the cool side as mom and us are much happier that way but we could do with less rain for sure! Have a pawsome Saturday!
Let’s try this again…
Great tips, Sugar! Mom is very careful with our health all year, but especially in the summer.
Mom almost never leaves us alone in the car, even during the fall, winter, and spring, so you know she wouldn’t in the summer. Mom sez “if my dogs can’t come inside a place with me, then they stay home.” The only time she leaves us in the car alone is at the vet’s office while she pays the bill…even then she only puts us in the car first if there are a lot of dogs inside and it’s cool enough with the windows open. Or, in the driveway while she opens the door so we don’t have to wait on the hot cement while she unlocks the door.
It’s a shame we still have to remind some people about hot cars, but they just don’t seem to “get it!”
Oh, what great tips Sugar! I take walks mostly on cement, butts usually in the cool mornings, butts that boot tip is a good one! Hmmmm, I wonder if I’ll ‘take’ to them…. BOL
Kisses,
Ruby
Hey Sugar you are one fine Ambassador of Safety for all our K9 friends.
One of our Doxie friends was stung several weeks ago while visiting a friend and the ending was not good.
Hugs Madi your B FFF
Great tips. A pleasure to read. Shared with my Facebook fans. Sugar is REALLY photogenic. But no need to tell you that 😉
It always worries me when I see people at the park with their dogs and they have no water or let them drink from the lake. I always carry bottled water with me and have extra in the car.
excellent advice, we are always very cautious with over heating and mom worries about it a lot. luckily in nyc most parks have doggie water fountains which is great
urban hounds
This is all excellent advice Sugar.
You’re going to wear out those purple pawz Sugar! We’re glad you take extra precautions to stay safe in the summer time!
These are fabulous tips! I try and make sure Titan at least gets some sunscreen on his nose and tips of his ears however, I also make sure he’s not out in the sun for long. We’ve put a canopy on our deck which helps out greatly. Also, he’s not a fan of the heat so when it’s really hot and humid, we keep him inside, except for potty breaks. These are fab tips again. I’ll gladly share them along!
Thanks for reminding me and everyone else about the perils of the summer sun.
Mom doesn’t take me out between 12 and 3 because it’s the hottest part of the day.
Last year a new groomer clipped me so close I had to wear a t-shirt until my hair grew and covered my pink skin. Mom was so mad she complained to the manager of Biscuits and Bath.
Oh, I forgot. Mom keeps the a/c on low for me even when she’s out. How sweet is that?
Hugs and licks, BJ Pup
Great things to think about during the warmer, summer months. Sunscreen is a good one, as that’s not something people often think about for dogs.
Your purple feet are cute 😉 Great reminders.
You are right on, Sugar, with these tips! Mom bought me a cooling coat for walks when the temperature is above 70 (that’s when heat starts bothering me).
All really great tips and reminders for summer, Sugar!
You’re so good to keep your boots on! I see you wear them all the time outside. We would pull those right off… that is IF we let mom put them on us in the first place!
We have to be extra cautious of the heat around here. Dachshunds are not known to tolerate heat well in general… plus, because we’re so low, the heat that radiates from the ground can contribute to us overheating in no time. Our walks have to be pretty short in the summertime… and we just skip walks on the really hot days.
We’re never alone in the car… mom doesn’t trust strangers. So we definitely wouldn’t be alone on a hot day!
Li’l Girl’s a big lapper, but I often worry about Austin drinking enough… really may have to try those fruity cubes to see if they entice him. He’s a food hound, so if he realizes there’s a “treat” inside the cubes, I think he’ll be right after them.
What a great post Sugar. It makes me sad and I can’t believe we actually have to remind people not to leave their dogs in cars! Really what are they thinking?
When it gets super hot and humid, I leave the air conditioning on during the day and we walk at night. Sometimes it’s just too hot during the day and we have to wait until dark and that means no wood walks, but it’s better than someone getting heat stroke.
Great tips, thanks for sharing!