Summertime pet care comes with some unique challenges. Keep your four-legged friend healthy and safe this summer with these tips from online pet retailer MrChewy.com:
1. Keep it cool. Don’t forget to keep pets comfortable when you leave your house for the day or even on vacation. Animals can easily get overheated so keep your AC on low and make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Lowering the shades will also help keep your home cool. And if you’re traveling to the Hamptons, don’t leave the dog in the car. When it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car will hit 99 degrees in 10 minutes.
2. Water, water everywhere. To prevent dehydration and exhaustion, be sure to keep plenty of cool, fresh water available for all pets – especially the older ones! This goes for even shorter strolls or trips to the park. Wherever your pets are, let there be water.
3. Paws up! Rover loves walking in the neighborhood but hot asphalt can quickly and easily put him in a lot of pain. Stick to the shady side of the street — or take your dog to the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve.
4. Bugs be gone. Ticks, fleas and other bugs are a huge nuisance in the summer. Any grassy, tree-filled area can have them so check Spot routinely and consider arming him with a repellent like Frontline, which is applied once a month.
5. Window watch! Summer months see a huge increase in the number of cats falling out of windows. During the warmer months, veterinarians at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital see approximately three to five cases a week. Falling short distances is especially dangerous to cats, so keep Tigger away from all unscreened open windows in warmer months.
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