July 15, 2004

Hot weather tips for pets

Leaving dogs in cars can be fatal

Summer is a great time for people and their pets. But summer also means that people need to take some extra precautions with their animal companions.

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) has some tips for ensuring that summer is fun and safe for your dog, cat or rabbit. Beth Ward, vice president of Animal and Customer Care at HSSV notes, “Protection from the heat, parasites, car safety, and sterilizing your pet are some of the issues that, while important year-round, need extra attention during the summer months.”

Safe fun in the sun
• It is important to make sure that you pet has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh water. Heat stroke can be fatal for pets as well as people.

• Leaving your pet outside unattended even for a few minutes places your animal companion at risk of theft or harm.

• Heat can kill a rabbit. Ideally, bunnies should be kept inside an air-conditioned home on days that the temperature is over 78 degrees. If that’s not an option, make sure the rabbit’s cage is in a shady spot that is well ventilated. Keep a few plastic bottles of water in the freezer and place the bottle in the cage next to your bunny to help cool him off.

For more information on hot weather tips for rabbits, visit The Rabbit Haven online at www.therabbithaven.org.

• Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On hot days, save longer walks and games of catch for the cooler mornings and evenings. Be especially careful with short-nosed dogs like pugs and bulldogs. Their facial conformation makes it difficult for them to cool their bodies by panting.

• Don’t chain or tether your dog. It allows no opportunity for exercise and socialization, and when done for long periods of time can lead to behavior problems. Instead, set aside time every day to walk or play ball with your dog.

• Keep your cat indoors. Though your feline friend may wish to explore the outdoors, cats that are permitted to go outside are at an increased risk of disease and injury from vehicles or other animals.
Companion animals and cars

• Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car. On warm days, the temperature in your car can rise to 120 degrees in minutes, even with the windows slightly open. Also, an animal left alone in a car is an open invitation to pet thieves.

• Though numerous car commercials depict it as the ultimate joy in a dog’s life, allowing your canine companion to stick his head out the window is asking for trouble. Doing so can subject your pet to injury by flying debris.

• Dogs should never ride in the back of pick-up trucks, and some states have laws that restrict such transport. If you are forced to make a sudden or evasive driving maneuver, your dog could be thrown from the truck and seriously, or even fatally, injured.

Parasite patrol
• Take care in choosing flea and tick control products, as some can be harmful to pets and children.

• ADVANTAGE(tm) for kittens can be used on your rabbit on a monthly basis. Consult a rabbit vet for more information on this product.

• Dogs and cats are at an increased risk of contracting heartworm during the summer. Transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito, heartworm disease can be fatal if not treated. Check with your veterinarian for the best schedule for heartworm testing and preventive medication for your pet.

Spaying/neutering
• Important all year-round, the need for spaying/neutering is brought home during the spring and summer months when animal shelters are filled to capacity with litters of unwanted puppies and kittens. During the height of kitten season, HSSV can receive as many as 100 unwanted
kittens a day.

• Spaying/neutering helps to reduce the pet overpopulation problem. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that each year between four and five million dogs and cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters due to a lack of good homes. In the Bay Area, approximately 50,000 pets are euthanized each year.

• There are also numerous benefits to spaying and neutering, including greatly reducing the risk of cancer and reducing the potential for aggressive behavior in your pet.