Pet Care in Hot Weather: 9 Safety Tips for Your Furry Friends

Summer is a great time for frolicking and having fun outdoors with your furry friends. But hot weather also carries certain risks to your pet’s health. Even very healthy pets can face potential health-related issues when overexposed to the heat and high temperatures. That’s the reason why we have to take extra caution and better take care of our pets to make sure they are fine in the heat. The following are some key tips for better pet care in hot weather. Let’s get started!

A guide for pet safety in hot weather

Visit the Vet

During summertime, we and our pets tend to spend more time outdoors. So, you should take your pet to a vet before the hot days of summer for a full check-up. 

Make sure they get tested for heartworm and remember to ask the veterinarian to recommend a flea and tick control plan. 

These are, of course, year-round issues, but in summer, when the temperatures can rise so high, it's more crucial to monitor them.

You should take your pet to a vet for a full check-up before the hot days

Keep a Close Eye on Your Pet

As compared to humans, the ability to deal with the heat of your pets is limited. They just can release heat through the paw pads and by panting, while we can sweat through the skin of the whole body.

If you are hot, your furry friends are definitely hot. So, be sure to keep a close eye on your pets and give them better pet care in extreme heat.

Moreover, animals with flat faces, such as Persian cats, Pugs, Bulldogs, etc. can't pant as effectively as others; therefore, they seem to be more susceptible to heatstroke, according to the ASPCA. 

Animals with flat faces are more susceptible to the heat

Regarding pet care in hot weather, you also need to pay a lot more attention to elderly or overweight pets or ones with lung and heart disease. 

Avoid letting your pets run around outside or play outdoors during the hottest periods of the day. 

Keep Them Hydrated

When the air outside is hot and sticky, pets are more susceptible to getting dehydrated. They need to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration during hot weather. 

Be sure to provide them with lots of fresh, clean water, whether at home, out on walks, or in the garden. It is one of the most crucial hot weather pet tips.

Always keep them hydrated

There are so many ways you can use to encourage your pets to drink more water such as making pet ice lollies, playing with garden sprinklers, or flavoring their drinking water. 

It's also a good idea to buy a travel water bowl to ensure your pets always have something to drink while being out and about. 

Never Leave Your Pets Alone in the Car

When it comes to keeping pets safe in the heat, this tip is so crucial. On warm days of summer, the inside of a vehicle will reach dangerously high temperatures within a few minutes. 

According to mytwintiers.com, studies show that temperatures inside a car (with windows cracked) can go up to 100°F (38°C) in just 10 minutes when the temps outside are 75°F (24°C). 

Please never leave your pet alone in the vehicle

The temperature in cars with dark colors can rise even more, reaching 200°F. This could cause a fatal heatstroke for the pets. So, never, ever leave them alone in the vehicle during warm days, even with the windows opened. 

This tip for pet safety in heat is true not only in summer but also in winter. Never leave your pets in cold cars during winter. That’s why it is among the best cold weather safety tips that all pet owners need to know.

Keep an Eye on the Paws

When the summer sun blazes down more and more, common surfaces like asphalt or metal can be extremely hot. If the pavement becomes too hot for our bare feet, then it’s also too hot for your pets’ paws. 

Exposure to these surfaces can not only burn the paws of your pets but also raise their body temperature. 

So, always be mindful of hot surfaces and check the pavement carefully before bringing your pets outside to avoid burnt paws. 

Don’t forget to keep an eye on their paws

You should keep them off during the hottest part of the day, especially during peak daytime hours of 10.00 A.M to 4.00 P.M. Consider walking your dogs in off-peak times of the day like early morning or evening when the pavement is cooler. 

For added protection, it’s best to shorten walks to prevent overheating.

Know the Signs of Overheating

How to care for your dog in hot weather? It’s crucial to know the signs and symptoms of overheating in your pets. 

They include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased salivation, increased heart and respiratory rate, mild weakness, stupor, or even collapse, vomiting with an elevated body temperature of above 104°F (40°C), and more. 

If left unchecked, the situation can get much worse. 

You should know the signs and symptoms of overheating in your pets

So, always keep an eye on your pets during hot weather to see if they have any signs of overheating and heat stroke or not. If your pet shows any signs of overheating, you need to contact your veterinary practice as soon as possible.

Apply Pet-Friendly Sunscreen

Just like us, our pets can suffer from sunburn when they aren’t properly protected.

Those having short or white hair with pink ears appear to be more at risk, so the owners need to be more careful to protect them from the bad effects of the sun’s rays. 

For this reason, consider applying dog-specific sunscreen to sensitive areas of your furry friends, like their nose, tips of the ears, lips, and belly. 

Use sunscreen for your dogs

Once again, it’s essential to keep them out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day.

Don’t forget to ask your vet for advice on the right type of sunscreen for your pet and your pet’s needs. You can also head over to our guide of “what kind of sunscreen is best for dogs?” for more details!

Provide Shady Spots

If your furry friends love to play outside, make sure they have a shady place to relax and get out of the sun. 

Shade created by trees allows air to freely circulate, so it’s better than a dog house. You should also keep track of how the shade changes when the sun moves throughout the day to guarantee your pet always has a shady area to sit in. 

Never over-exercise them in hot weather, and keep them indoors if it is extremely hot outside. That’s what you can do to ensure pet safety in heat wave. 

Make sure your pets have a shady place

Trim Longer Hair and Regular Brush Hair

This is the last tip for pet care in heat! It’s okay to trim longer hair on your furry friends but never shave them. A shaggy coat actually helps insulate them against heat and sunburn. 

For ones with long and thick fur, you should groom them since shorter hair helps regulate their body temperature. But once again, never shave them because doing so can make your pet susceptible to sunburn.

Brushing your cat and your dog more often than usual to get rid of shedding fur can also help prevent problems resulting from excessive heat. 

Brushing your pet more often

Conclusion

Above are 9 basic tips for better pet care in hot weather that you should know. Note that these are just basic tips to know. Taking care of different types of pets is not the same since it depends on a wide range of factors like the breed, age, state of health of your pet, and more. So, it’s always best to get advice on how to take care of your furry friends the right way from your veterinarian.