How can I keep my dog safe this summer?

Warm weather brings lots of fun, but also many dangers for people and animals. In the veterinary profession, we see more problems with dogs than cats related to the warmer weather. Most pet cats do not travel with their humans. Many dogs are out and about more with their owners. There are more plants to get into as well as more general stuff to find.

One of the greatest concerns is related to heat. Most dogs’ heat tolerances are similar to that of humans’. However, some dogs with long, thick hair coats are much more sensitive than others. As a general rule, dogs will be overly hot in conditions in which you would be.

Many older pets seem to have more difficulty in hot, humid weather. More dogs and cats present with respiratory difficulty in the summer. It also seems that more pets develop symptoms due to heart failure during the summer. The exact causes for this are unclear.

Dogs and cats do not sweat like we do. To cool themselves, dogs pant. Panting is a normal activity that actually takes very little energy for a dog. Panting hits what is referred to as a resonance frequency so it is very easy to maintain. Additionally, each breath is very shallow. While panting a dog actually moves the same amount of air for gas exchange as if they are breathing normally. They are not in danger of hyperventilating. Cats can pant, but a panting cat is usually stressed or in distress.

General precautions should include shade, air movement, and plenty of fresh water. Most dogs will do well outside if they have a nice shady place and fresh water. Try to avoid strenuous activity during the heat of the day. Plan exercise for the cooler early morning hours or late in the evening. Some dogs enjoy a small swimming pool to play in during the day.

Be very careful around cars. With our increased activity in the summer, our dogs are out more and more cars are on the roads. Veterinarians see many more dogs (and cats) hit by vehicles in the summer.

We also see many dogs left in cars in the heat. When parked in the sun, the interior of a car can hit dangerously high temperatures in a matter of a few minutes, even with the windows cracked open. Heat stroke and death can occur rapidly. Once the internal body temperature gets above a certain point, cells are no longer able to function. Simply cooling the body will not repair the damage.

Heat is not the only danger that warm weather brings. As our dogs are more active with us, they also are exposed to more dangers in the environment. These are many and varied. We certainly see many more parasites like heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks during the summer months.

There are more potentially dangerous plants, algae and fungi (mushrooms, toadstools), as well as more dead animals and garbage around. Many plants and fungi are not immediately toxic, but problems become apparent 12 to 72 hours later. Food poisonings from eating dead animals and garbage is common. The gastrointestinal disease can be quite severe, even life threatening. Occasionally, we even see a case of botulism.

There are many dangers in our pets’ lives that we can control. However, there are also many dangers that we cannot control. Please think about what you can do to keep your pet safe. Do not leave them in a hot car. If traveling with your pet, plan for ways to keep your pet safe while you are enjoying your vacation. Try to keep them from running unattended and getting hit by a car. Protect them from parasites with products like Frontline, dewormers and heartworm preventatives. Keep an eye on your home environment for toxic plants and fungi. And try to keep your dog from eating dead animals.

I wish all of you, your family, and your pets, a safe and fun-filled summer.

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