Remember these safety tips this summer.
Travel tips
- NEVER leave your pets alone in a closed vehicle.
- Don't allow your pets to ride in the back of a pick up truck.
- Make sure to always have an ID tag on your pet.
- Do not allow dogs access to pools, rivers, lakes, ponds, or other free standing water.
- When going to crowded loud events, leave your pets at home.
Summer Play Safety
- Keep in mind that pets only prespire through their paws and tounge.
- Always provide sufficient water
- Don't forget to excercise your pet. But do so during the cooler parts of the day.
- Provide access to shade.
- Protect your pets from sunburn. Many dogs get burned noses and ears, protect them as you would yourself.
Yard and Garden safety
Remember that some yards and parks may be treated with the following, and keep your pets off all grassy areas where they may have been used.
- Fertilizer
- Insecticide
- Weed killer
- Gardeners who use cocoa mulch unwittingly put dogs at risk.
The mulch is made from the hulls of cocoa beans and contains theobromine, an ingredient also found in chocolate, which can be harmful to dogs. Attracted by the scent, some dogs eat the mulch, consuming quantities large enough to be toxic. To keep your dog safe and your garden green, use bark mulch as an alternative.
Also keep in mind that many plants are harmful to pets and should not be eaten.
Preventive Medicine
Be sure to speak with your vet about what summer preventatives your pet should be given.
- Heart Worm
- Test and Preventative
- Fleas and ticks
- Some vets may advise against over the counter treatments as they may be toxic to some pets.
- Mosquitos
- Ask your vet about vaccines against West Nile Virus in certain areas.
FIREWORKS
PLEASE, leave your pets at home, the loud noise can be very confusing to them. Each year too many pets are killed or lost due to the fear and confusion of the Fourth of July.
Adapted from the HSUS Summer Care Tips for You and Your Pet at http://www.hsus.org/ace/11861
