You’d never know it judging by Northern California’s weather lately, but Summer is coming and it’s time to revisit how the hot weather can impact our pets.

If you’ve had dogs all your life, you may know some of these hot weather tips, but if you’re a new dog owner, I hope they help you to keep your pets safe this summer.

Here’s a video of my dog boarders having fun in the pool!

Pool Play

Here at Waggy’s Pet Sitting, the first of our dog boarders have christened the pool and are enjoying playing in the water. Before I started boarding dogs, we had taken the fence down and were enjoying how our yard looked without the obstruction of the black mesh fence.

It didn’t take long for us to put it back up after we started taking in dog boarders. It was so stressful thinking that one would fall in, panic and not remember where the stairs are and drown. I’ve even had very agile dogs fall due to running around the yard and getting too close to the edge.

So, being worry free had to win out over the beauty of the yard. Remember to always supervise pets while they’re in the pool.

Never leave your dog in the car!

Whenever I can, I bring my dog boarders with me when I do errands. That all stops once the weather starts to get warm. The temperature in the car can rise to over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes and can be fatal.

Get out the sunscreen and insect repellent.

The sun does not discriminate between humans or animals. They can burn and get skin cancer just like we do. Make sure to get their noses including inside their nostrils, exposed lips, tips of the ears if they have ears that stand up. Your light colored dogs are even more susceptible to burns. Be careful not to get the sunscreen in their eyes. I’ve done that to myself and it burns and stings. If your in a high insect area, purchase insect repellent made for animals.

Make sure they have plenty of water.

Leave an extra bowl or water chiller outside with fresh cool water for all your pets. If your outside water bowl is left out too long, bacteria can form and possibly make your dog sick, not to mention all the bugs that float in, but don’t get out. When walking your dog, have a water device so you can give your dog frequent water breaks.

You may have to change your exercise and walking routine.

Where I live in Northern California, it get over 100 degrees on many of our Summer days. Therefore, I have to adjust the walking schedule of my dogs. If we haven’t walked by at most 8am, it will be too hot and we’ll have to wait until the sun goes down. Always bring water with you on the walk or jog and give to your dog if you see that he’s panting excessively. Always check for signs of heat stroke.

I lived in Arizona for a couple of years and not only did you have to walk them at the crack of dawn or night, but their paws can burn on the concrete or street. If your dog will wear them, dog booties will keep their paws from burning.

Play indoors more.

I often throw a ball down my hallway for the dogs. You can even run them up and down the stairs, or play with their favorite dog toy with them. I’m used to dogs playing in my house and I realize this may not be the case for everyone.

Water play

Keep them cool even if they don’t have a pool to swim in. One of my sitters gets a couple of plastic play pools and the dogs have a great time. Sometimes I cool them down with the hose, but not for too long. I don’t want to waste precious water.

Keep uneaten food up.

We get a ton of flies in the Summer. Uneaten food especially wet food, can get inundated with flies and/or ants. If your dog or cat likes to nibble, take the food off the floor and put it in the refrigerator. You can offer it to him in a little while. However, if they don’t eat their breakfast, it’s best to throw it away and start with a fresh bowl for dinner due to bacteria getting into the food.

Go to a Pet First Aid Class.

Pet first aid classes are a must for any pet owner and/or pet sitter. They teach you the basics of pet first aid including knowing the signs of Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion. The American Red Cross has classes and leaves you with a full color Pet First Aid reference book. You can read my prior post on Heat Stroke here.

Keep your pets coat trimmed down.

More frequent trips to the pet groomer may be in order especially for long, thick coats. Be sure to check with your groomer if this is right for your pet. Grooming certain kinds of dogs may not be the best option as their coat may help keep them cool in hot weather. Shave down to about an inch long for extra protection from the sun.

Watch human outdoor play.

Hot weather brings out the gardener and BBQ king in all of us. Be aware of the lawn fertilizers, pesticides and sprays that your using. Use pet friendly options whenever possible. My dog used to stand by my husband waiting for scraps or juice to drop from the BBQ! When having friends over for Summer fun, please ask that they don’t give your pets table scraps as some may be toxic or just plain bad for them.

Watch out for snakes.

I recently wrote a post on Venomous Snakes and how to prevent you and your pets from getting bitten.

Visit your Veterinarian

Visit your vet and stock up on flea, tick and heart worm meds. Make sure your pet is tested for heart worms in you aren’t on a year round routine.

Do you have hot weather tips that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear them.