As you spend more time outdoors this summer, Hometown Veterinary Service Owner and Veterinarian Sydney Hennenfent is offering summer care tips for pet owners:
“All year is a great time, but especially in the summertime, to have your dogs on a flea and tick prevention. Those are really important right now. Something else that is important to have your dog on is a heartworm prevention. Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and so if you are going to be out running around where there is standing water, that is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and so a heartworm prevention is really important for your dogs to be on,” says Hennenfent.
“Another thing that is really important in the summertime especially is to watch your dogs for signs of heat stroke. It is really easy for dogs to get overheated. A general rule of thumb, if you are really hot outside, your dog is probably really hot outside. If you can’t touch the asphalt, your dog probably shouldn’t be walking on the asphalt, they can burn the bottoms of their feet. Don’t leave your dog in your car. Your cars get really hot really fast. Even if you are just going to run into the store for a couple of minutes, it is best not to leave your pets inside,” Hennenfent adds.
While swimming can be a great way to help dogs stay cool during the summer, Hennenfent also encourages owners to dry their pets thoroughly afterward and watch for signs of ear infections or painful hot spots that can develop from lingering moisture.
