Summer’s Here! Beat the heat.

Today is the first day of summer! It sure is finally getting warm here in the Bitterroot Valley.

Since I lived in South Florida and I am the older, wiser one of the pack, I volunteered to do this post.

Here are some ways to help you fur kids beat the heat this summer.

Leaving us in a vehicle is bad news

NEVER, EVER leave us in a vehicle. Especially with the windows only partially rolled down. It gets very hot in a short amount of time. The same goes for leaving us in the back of a pick up truck where we can literally roast in the hot sun. Last summer a person who had put their fur kid in a plastic traveling crate (while safe for the pup, he couldn’t jump out of the truck) and parked his truck in the sun for just a little bit, they said. The person rushed the limp, blue tongued, overheated fur baby into the vet clinic where mom works. His body temp was 105 and rising! They put an ice pack on his head and gave him a very long cold shower and then placed him on oxygen. He lived, but this can be prevented.

It’s time for a summer hairdo. See your local groomer or have your human do it. A simple brushing, hair cut, nail trim and bath work wonders for getting one ready for what looks like to be a hot summer.

Always have a stainless steel dish full of fresh cool water around for us to wet our whistle with. This is very important in helping us regulate our body temperature.

Have your human make you some “polar bones”. Our mom makes them for us in a bone shaped mold. She adds water and puts them in the freezer. If your human doesn’t have a bone shaped mold, tell them to simply give you an ice cube. They are fun to chew on and really help cool you down.

Humans sometimes use these fancy new fan towers you place on the floor. Please be very care not to put it in an area where it may get knocked over.

The lake, ah yes the lake. It is very important when going to take a swim in the lake or river that it is not in its “rising stage” or has a fast moving current. I recall mom speaking of a guy last year who took his four legged best friend for a swim during “run off” time and the current swept the poor pooch away, never to be found.

Make sure you have a cool or shady place for you fur kid to get out of the direct sun. Being out of the direct sun can sometimes make a big difference in the feel of the temperature.

While exercise is very important for us, it should be done in the early morning or late in the afternoon. It is important to remember, PAVEMENT GETS HOT and can burn our pads on our paws. Poor Ollie can attest to that. The shelter was walking him around on the pavement at the local Farmer’s Market (read his bio) and when mom & dad got him here to his new forever home, the poor kid stood with his paws in our water dish.

Remember, fur kids can get skin cancer too. Put some sun block on the tips of their ears and on their nose, yes, we make lick some of it off, but some of it will have soaked in.

These are just a few things you can do.

Everyone have a safe and fun summer and remember, love your fur kid unconditionally.

Becky