Summer may be a bit low-key this year, but as we venture outside more it’s important to keep your pet safe. Here are a few tips to help:
- Heat kills! Never leave your pet in a car, even for a quick trip. On a sunny 70-degree day, your car can heat up to over 100 degrees in minutes. Hot asphalt will scorch your pet’s paws—so if it’s too hot for your bare feet, it’s too hot for your pooch.
- We know that there may not be many large-scale July 4th celebrations this summer, but people still love fireworks and will likely be setting them off more in neighborhoods. Keep your pets inside, with calm music or white noise on. If your pet has an extreme reaction to the noise such as heavy panting, drooling, shaking, hiding, or trying to escape, we may be able to help with medication or herbal remedies.
- Cookouts are tasty, but cooked meat bones often splinter and become hazardous if swallowed. Nix the corn cobs, too—they can cause intestinal blockage.
- Booze is bad news! It can dangerously intoxicate your pet and result in coma or even respiratory failure. Yes, this includes beer—fermented hops and ethanol are poisonous to both dogs and cats.
- Don’t let your dog drink seawater, lake water or river water. Water from the ocean can bring on vomiting and dehydration, while lake and river water are often full of bacteria that can cause illness. If there’s a bloom of blue-green algae, your pet could be at risk of liver failure or death if they ingest it.
We’re here to help if you have any questions about summer safety, need sedative medications for fireworks, or want to make sure your pet’s shots and parasite protection are up to date. Just give us a call at (571) 434-0250 or book an appointment online.