Because of the warmer temperatures, the summer season causes me no end to dangers. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, oh, my! I’m positive my pointers will decrease the risks when I tell my dog parents but when you spread the word, it will help others avoid potentially life-threatening events this summer.
Yes, the warmer temperatures increase numbers of pests like those nasty fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. These annoying critters love to dig beneath my shiny coat where they can hitch a ride while slurping on a blood meal. The bite alone is uncomfortable but there’s also a risk of contracting a deadly, and I mean deadly disease. My favorite vet says these include Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme, Ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, heartworm disease for dogs and hemobartonellosis, cytauxzoonosis, and heartworm disease for cats. If you can pronounce all those words, you are a winner. Thankfully, excellent oral and topical products protect me and my friends from these nasty critters.
If critters weren’t enough, slithering, sliding, and sneaky snakes tend to strike at unsuspecting pets, too. I’m savvy enough to avoid the rattlesnakes, copperhead and cotton mouth snakes which inhabit our area. My pet parents keep me out of tall brush, woody areas, and from around lakes and ponds to prevent me accidently meeting a snake fang to snout, so to speak. Thankfully, for my hunting dog friends and others who run on the wide side, a vaccine is available to provide some protection and alleviate the symptoms if bitten by a copperhead or rattlesnake.
Spring and summer also ushers in weather events and the Fourth of July which results in lots of loud and scary noises like thunder, tornados, and firework explosions. My sensitive ears just cringe. My fellow fur babies get anxious and fearful which stresses out their dog parents. Send them to my favorite vet to get antianxiety and calming medications, not only to relieve your stress but help calm your pet parents, too. Of course, not me, as I’m secure in the comfort of my home and not tempted to escape from the yard or flee from the noise. Although, I still check to make sure my ID is on my collar so if something should happen, my human rescuers can return me home pretty quick. There’s also GPS tracking devises and microchips, a more permanent solution, which really help in trying times.
With school out and temperatures on the rise, my pet parents, like many others, look to travel, spend time in recreational areas like dog parks and lakes. Sometimes, they even leave me to visit friends in boarding. It just means I’m exposed to potential hazards like flies transporting the parvo virus particles from feces to other surfaces. Leptospirosis is a disease that causes liver and kidney failure in both pets and people. This nasty organism is shed in urine by possums, skunks, and raccoons to water sources like puddles, creeks, and ponds which are just waiting for me and my friends to take a dip or sip a drink. Then, we have our roaming skunk neighbors who happen to be the number one carrier of rabies in our area. They like the warm weather from their travels. Just saying, you need to remind your pet parents to keep you up-to-date on vaccines!
But by far, the deadliest hazard of summer is the heat. Dogs, like me, cats and even children left in cars can experience heat stroke and death within a few minutes as temperatures can reach well over 100 degrees. That’s not long enough to run into the store for a quick purchase. Bark like crazy if you get left behind in the car. You don’t want your temperature to rise quickly, causing panic and restlessness which leads to heavy panting to increase your metabolism, which results in an increased metabolism leading to a deadly cycle. Don’t stay in an unattended car and remind your pet owners to provide plenty of shade, ventilation, and fresh water daily, particularly when temperatures climb.
Now, my simple tips will keep us four-legged pets safe and comfortable so we can enjoy cuddles, walks, and long naps with our favorite people. When you have questions, call your local veterinarian for more information about vaccines, medications, or products. I’m off to watch my pet parents drink their lemonades in the cool shade. Stay healthy!
