Dog Days of Summer Tough on Pets - Maplewood, NJ Patch

With temperatures skyrocketing and excessive heat warnings from the National Weather Service, people are warned to stay cool and the same goes for pets.

The heat index (how the temperature feels combined with the humidity) is supposed to soar to 105 degrees today and 110 degrees tomorrow, so local vets provided some common sense tips to help keep your furry, four-legged friends safe.

Here are five ways to keep your pets safe in the heat:

1. Keep it Cool

Don?t forget about Fluffy when you leave your apartment for the day or even on vacation. Pets can easily get overheated so keep your air conditioning on low and make sure there?s plenty of ventilation. Lowering the shades will also help keep your home cool. Never leave your pet the car. When it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car will hit 99 degrees in 10 minutes. Imagine how fast it rises when it's 100 degrees outside.

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 sidewalk strolls or festivals in the park. Wherever your pets are, let there be water.

3. Paws up!

Rover loves walking the city but hot asphalt can quickly and easily put him in a lot of pain. Try to walk in parks when possible and stick to the shady side of the street.

4. Bugs be Gone

Ticks, fleas and other bugs are not just for country dogs. Any grassy, tree-filled area can have them, especially in Millburn-Short Hills where we are adjacent to the South Mountain Reservation, so check Spot routinely and consider arming him with a repellent like Frontline or Revolution, which is applied once a month.

5. Window watch

Summer is prime time for ?High-Rise Syndrome,? with a huge increase in the number of cats falling out of apartment 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.

Source: http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/dog-days-of-summer-tough-on-pets-2

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