With the summer months in full swing, you may find yourself spending extra time outdoors walking your dog or leaving screened windows open for your cat to enjoy the breeze (just make sure the screens are secure!). However, the hot weather also means taking extra precautions for pets.

Fun in the Sun

• Make sure that your pet has protection from heat and sun (a dog house does not provide relief from heat) and plenty of fresh water when outdoors. Heat stroke can be fatal for pets as well as people.
• With more time being spent outside, make sure your pet is always wearing a collar and identification tag.
• Pets sunburn, too – use sunscreen on his/her nose and ears if necessary. Pets with light-colored noses or fur are especially vulnerable to sunburn and skin cancer.
• Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours and be especially careful with short-nosed dogs and those with thick coats. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws.
• Keep your cat indoors. Cats that are permitted to go outside unattended are at an increased risk of disease and injury from vehicles or other animals.
• While we don't get many of these in the Adoption Center, some small and furry animals are very sensitive to heat. Higher temperatures can be life-threatening. Chinchillas must be kept in an environment not to exceed 70 degrees F, rabbits not to exceed 80 degrees F. All animals should be kept indoors. Be sure to check the climate requirements of your specific pet.

Yard Rules

• People often fertilize their lawns and work in their gardens during the summer months, but be aware that certain plants, plant food, fertilizer and insecticides can be fatal if ingested by pets.
• Pets and pools can equal disaster – enclose pool areas to prevent free access and supervise pets when around the pool.

Parasite Prevention

• Take care in choosing flea and tick control products, as some can be harmful.  Only use products recommended by your veterinarian and not over the counter products. We sell flea and tick preventative at the Adoption Center. Come in during any open hours to pick it up!
• Dogs and cats are at an increased risk of contracting heartworm during the summer. Transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito, heartworm disease can be fatal if not treated. Be sure to schedule an appointment to get your pet heartworm tested, and, if negative, receive a heartworm preventative, which we also supply at the Adoption Center. You can call our vet clinic at 610-566-1370 x217 to schedule an appointment.

Riding in Cars with Pets

• Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car. On warm days, the temperature in your car can rise to dangerous levels in minutes, even with the windows slightly open. If you see an animal in a parked car in the summer, alert the management of the shopping area or grocery store. If the owner does not return promptly, call local animal control or the police.
• As idyllic and carefree as it may seem, do not allow dogs to ride with their heads out of the window since injury could occur from flying debris. Animals should be kept in the car in a crate or wearing a specially designed seatbelt harness for dogs.
• Dogs should never ride in the open bed of pick-up trucks, and some states have laws that restrict such transport. If forced to make a sudden or evasive driving maneuver, a dog could be thrown from the truck and seriously or even fatally injured.

In the summer months, we become filled to capacity with litters of puppies and kittens, highlighting the need for spaying and neutering all year-round. Spayed or neutered pets have significantly less risk of reproductive cancers, reduced potential for aggressive behavior as well as less of an urge to roam, not to mention spaying and neutering will help with housebreaking! 

We offer very low-priced spaying and neutering. Cats are just $50 and dogs under 40 pounds are $60 to spay/neuter; dogs over 40 pounds are $80. To schedule an appointment, call our vet office at 610-566-1370 x3 today!