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Five Tips to Keep Your Dogs Healthy, Happy & Safe During Summer

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Powered by Mom Blog and Family Love these Tips to Keep Our Dogs Happy & Safe!

Do you already do any of these? Feel free to also share your tips!

Here’s a picture of one of our dogs Luna, she’s an Australian Blue Heeler who goes to work with my husband everyday riding in his truck 🙂

Dogs Luna Blue Heeler

The dog days of summer are upon us and the changing season often puts extra stress on our pet friends. Can’t stand the heat? Neither can your pet. That’s why Iams is unleashing five helpful tips to ensure all members of your fur family are kept happy, healthy and safe this summer. These tips and others can be found at CFHS, OSPCA and iams.ca.

1.       Keep an eye on the H20 – Did you know that water may be the most important step in keeping your dog healthy? Just like us, a dog’s body is 80 per cent water but dogs don’t appear to be losing hydration because they do not sweat like we do. Make sure there is a source of water yourdog can access at all times (no, the toilet bowl is not a water dish!) to avoid dehydration, overheating and to maintain proper bodily functions.

2.       Act as a lifeguard – Swimming in the pool or a lake can be a great way for pets and people to play together and cool off. While Fido practices doggy-paddling, do not leave your pet unattended; just as safety precautions must be taken when children are near water, similar rules exist for pets. If your dog has difficulties swimming, consider lessons or a cute doggy life jacket.

3.       Keep coats long – Believe it or not, a pet’s coat is designed by nature to keep them cool during the summer. Shaving pets can actually do them more harm than good by interfering with this built-in temperature regulation and predisposing them to things like heat stroke/exhaustion and sun burn. Rather than shaving, consider a trim or brushing regularly to help air circulate near the skin.

4.       Protect little paws – When it’s scorching hot outside, dangerously steamy pavement and metal surfaces are hard to avoid, especially for our four-legged friends. Just as we remember to wear sandals, it’s important to remember our pet’s feet and foot pads. To be mindful of scorching surfaces, walk your dog on the cloud-covered side of the street or in a grass-filled park. If these are not an option, laying down a wet towel foryour dog to stand on.

5.       Be careful with cars – Due to sky-rocketing temperatures in the summertime, the sun can make the inside of a car unbearable. Even with the windows cracked, cars can reach 130 degrees inside in less than 30 minutes. If your pet is used to running errands with you in the car, leave Fluffy and Rufus at home if you can or bring them along on a cooler day.

For more pet care tips, for the summer season and otherwise, remember to visit www.iams.ca or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iams.

Comments

  3. Thankyou for posting these very important tips for keeping our fur babys safe in the Hot weather.. I am guilty of cutting or shaving the dogs hair in the hot weather.. Never knew their coats were temperature controlled. So you taught me something that I will now put to good use. B|
    Have a Great day!!!

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  4. I did not know about the long coat. I have never shaved my dogs but it is great to know that I should not if I am ever tempted.

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  5. I know I have already wrote a review on this subject but I have wrote a review on all the non-giveaway reviews. So the one thing that I remember I read here that I didn’t know . That to keep your dogs hair a little long. I have my poodle’s hair shave almost bald, but I’m not going to anymore. The next time I bring him, it’s going to be left a little long.

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  6. Very helpful tips on dogs in the summer time. Lots of people dont think about the dogs feet get to hot on the road or pavements. Also I didnt know that about shaving pets in the summer. Tho I would never do that anyhow .thanks for the information – NO DOGS IN CARS people on hot days

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  10. never leave a dog in a hot car in the summer not even for 5 mins with thw window cracked…..dont keep them on a chain, give them plenty of fresh water thru out the day…some dogs enjoy a water hose or kiddy pool to splash and cool off in, if the pavement n sidewalk is too hot to walk on barefoot do NOT walk your dog on it..cats n dogs pads of thier paws are sensitve and burn/freeze easily, its best to walk your dog in the morning and late evenging when its cooler out, try to keep them indoors in the shade and ac during the afternoon, if they are outdoors give them a proper doh house and tree for shade..my boyfriend has a husky/wolf mix and he gets very hot in summer

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  11. Protecting paws from the hot ground is os easy to forget because we wear shoes. I always try to walk them on grass or at least covered surfaces.

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  13. I have already commented on this one so I am doing it again. Thanks again for these tips!! I just had to take my dog Prada to the vet yesterday because she had been throwing up but now today she is a totally different dog!! Love her so much!!

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  15. Great tips-I always forget about the hot pavement (thanks to my stupid shoes)…so Ive made a habit of walking her at night and in the early morning-up here in NY is it rarely too hot to walk on at those times 😉

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  19. These are very good tips for every dog owner and besides making sure that a dog has enough water one must make sure that the dog has safe water – standing puddles or swampy areas can be very bad for a dog’s health.

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  22. It is so important to make sure that my dog has a lot of water when it is hot. And I never leave my dog in the car when it is hot. And I did not know if you shave a dog that it will interfere with their built in temp. That is great for me to know!

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  24. Thank you for sharing these very helpful and informative tips. I have been a dog lover for as long as I can remember and currently have one I took in as a stray. I’m probably a bit over protective of him, but his safety and well being have always been of great importance to me. I hope the tips you’ve shared may help others who have not been as informed. 🙂

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  26. This great info, Thanks so Much for sharing with us. We have 3 dogs who live outside but they all have shade to go to. They are all three next to a wooded area so they can take cover from the sun and do!

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  27. This a great post…excellent reminders for those that own pets an for those just a new family member…thanx for caring enuff to post this!!!

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  28. so great that luna can go to work and not stay at home by herself…she looks like a working dog. i get so made when people leave their dogs in the cars when it is hot. i have called the police in my area many times, but they take forever to show or never show, stating not a big deal as long as the window is cracked. a cracked window will not save a dog if the temps are high

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  29. I keep my “babies” well hydrated & put ice in their water too. Even tho it’s inside, this is still Texas & when they go outside to play they need to cool down fast!

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  31. Great tips. I know most of these are common sense but sometimes we overlook things. My pets are definitely part of my family and are like my kids so I appreciate tips to help them stay safe and healthy!

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  32. It’s so important to take care of a pet. We had a neighbor that got a dog and totally neglected it.We had a bad snowstorm with freezing temps. They chained the dog up in the yard where he couldn’t move. I had to call and have it removed from their home.

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  34. Wow, Thank you for the health tips! I did not know about shaving a dogs hair. Every summer I take my poodle to get shaved and keep him shaved all summer. Actually I just had him shaved yesterday. Here in New Orleans it’s so hot still. But I will thing twice about it now. No more shaves! A trim is all for now on. I’ve never noticed that the heat ever bothered him, I just thought it did. How Enlightening!!

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  35. I live in the south and it was quite an adjustment moving from the west coast. It’s even more critical for a pet owner to make sure your pet is kept hydrated and in the shade. It just doesn’t cool off much in the evenings. So our pets have become mostly house pets. It’s the only way to keep them safe.

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  38. this is an awesome artical. I live in phoenix, az and see people all the time not protecting their puppies paws it is so frustrating!

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  40. great tips, I had a lhasa apso and I remember the groomer had said to keep his coat long during the warmer weather and just clip it a little, I always wondered why and your post explained it to me… lots of great tips.

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  41. We live in FL and the water and car info is KEY! People don’t realize how quickly the heat can kill either a child or an animal. Thanks for helping educate people about these dangers.

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  43. I have a thing for my dogs when they are out called a “gulpy”. It’s a portable water bottle for dogs. When you turn it up it goes into this little dish compartment. It’s very handy!

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  45. Protecting my dogs paws is something I need to pay more attention to. Never really thought about it like the way you explained. I’m a big sissy when it comes to hot surfaces and bare feet! Thanks for such great advice!

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  46. Thank you for all the wonderful tips for keeping dogs safe in thw heat! Needless to say its really sad that most people who do something to harm their dogs dont even know how to use common sense and that makes me so mad! Its nice to hear from a fellow animal lover!

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  49. I have to admit, there was a time I forgot about those poor little paws. Our standard poodles would stand on the deck waiting to come inside after pottying. In the afternoon the deck gets the sun and can be pretty hot. I noticed how uncomfortable the pups were because they were doing the potty dance AFTER pottying. From that day on there’s been a rug outside the door they can stand on incase mom is not quick enough to let them in.

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  50. Really good info on caring for your dog in the summertime.I do not do # 3…Cockers need regular grooming.

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  51. we have a trough for horses that we bought for our dogs to cool off they love it. my 4 pound yorkie uses our labs water dish as a swimming pool

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  53. I d oall your tips mentioned but #2 I don’t take my dog swimming I think it’s a good Idea if you have a dog to a have a small kids pool for your dogs outside in the yard so they have some water to cool off in though

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