Warm Weather Worries

The nice, sunny weather can provide you with hundreds of available hours for you and your furry friend to be together. However, there are many dangers that may not be easily recognized. While there is nothing we like seeing more than owners spending time with their pets, we want you to be aware of some of the problems that might be out there.

Pools & Lakes - Pets should always be supervised around pools, lakes, and ponds. Hazards around these places include drowning and contaminated water. Therefore, always be sure to have plenty of fresh drinking water available for your pet. You might also want to consider placing a life preserver on your pet when near water.

Fireworks - Fourth of July fireworks are another familiar summer threat. Frightened pets have been known to dig out of yards or jump fences. Appropriate sedatives are available to help your pet deal with these loud noises. Something else to consider is the HomeAgain Microchip for those animals that tend to run when scared. It is a small identification chip implanted under the skin that links that specific identification number with your personal information. Many veterinary hospitals and shelters have special scanners to check for a chip on found animals.

Open Gates - Your pet may also escape the yard if a gate is left open. During the summer months everyone is out in their yard more often and you might forget to shut the gate, for instance, as you push your lawn mower through. It only takes a few seconds for your dog to be on the loose. This is another prime example of why a HomeAgain Microchip will give you more piece of mind.

Baseballs/Softballs - Summer is the perfect time for kids to have a small neighborhood baseball game in the back yard or toss the softball back and forth. A swinging bat or a ball thrown slightly off target can cause severe injury if it hits your pet. Please take note of where your animal is when playing in the yard.

Heatstroke

Many of you know not to keep dogs and other pets in the car on hot days. But how hot is too hot? What about keeping the window rolled down? On an 85*F day, the temperature inside a car can climb to 102*F within 10 minutes, even with the window cracked open. Within 20 minutes, the temperature can become deadly at 120*F or higher. Add humidity to the heat, and the risks increase. Because dogs cool themselves by panting, dogs with short noses, collapsing tracheas, and cardiac illness are especially susceptible to heat-related problems. Thick-coated animals, overweight pets, and darkly pigmented pets (i.e., black dogs and cats), also have a compromised cooling ability. A good rule of thumb for the summer months is if it is too hot for you to comfortably sit in a parked car, it is too hot for your furry friends!

Heatstroke does not happen only in parking lots. Pets on outdoor tethers are also at risk if they become tangled and cannot reach shade or water. Outdoor pets can benefit from owner attentiveness to the temperature and angle of the sun.

A nice sunny day may also inspire you to head out for some exercise and take your friend with you. To avoid added heat stress, you should exercise your pet in the cooler hours of the day and not during peak sun exposure, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Even if you are not outside during the heat of the day, it is still possible for your pet to suffer heatstroke. Signs you might notice include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, general listlessness, and muscle tremors. If you suspect your pet may be suffering from heat stroke, apply cool rags to your animal and seek veterinary assistance.

Pesty Problems

Most cats and dogs respond to insect stings or bites with slight swelling and redness in the affected area. However, in some cases, a more severe reaction causes swelling around the eyes and muzzle, hives, pain, or itching over a large area of the body. A few animals suffer an extreme allergic reaction with difficulty breathing, collapse and sometimes death. Multiple stings or bites intensify the reaction.

If your animal has suffered a sting or bite, here are a few important things to remember:
- Inspect all insect stings or bites when the site can be located. If the stinger is protruding from the skin, remove it by gently scraping the skin with a fingernail or using a pair of tweezers.
- Pets showing more than a small amount of swelling at the site of the sting should be examined by a veterinarian.
- If your pet's face begins to swell or turn red, or if they are having a difficult time breathing, seek immediate veterinary attention.
Fleas and ticks are also very much around this time of year. There are many products available through your veterinarian to help prevent them from ever becoming a problem. Talk to your veterinarian today to see which product is best for your pet.

Summer Poisons

Lawn and car care may result in curious pets sampling harmful chemicals. Although just thought of as a winter problem, ethylene glycol, also known as antifreeze, is present during the summer months too. Owners should watch for radiator leakage from motor vehicles and open or unmarked containers. Please remember that antifreeze tastes very sweet to animals and just a teaspoon can be enough to kill a cat. If you suspect your animal has been exposed to antifreeze, seek immediate veterinary attention.

Detergents and wax used to clean and shine vehicles can cause irritation to the mouth and nose, vomiting, diarrhea, or even more severe problems. Pets should be kept in safe, enclosed areas when poisonous products are used and all family members should be reminded to not let them out.

Plant fertilizers vary in toxicity. Many mixtures primarily cause gastric irritation, but others may be high in iron or other minerals that can cause anemia or other problems.

Organophosphates are chemicals used extensively as pesticides for the home and garden. They vary in toxicity by type and concentration. When ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin in sufficient quantity, they work by stimulating nerve and muscle tissue, resulting in salivation, urination, defecation, muscle twitches, difficulty breathing, seizures and more severe problems. Successful treatment depends on recognizing exposure and seeking immediate veterinary care.

If you have any questions regarding possible poisons your animal may have been exposed to, please call us. You can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. There is a charge for contacting this number, but it could save your best friends life.