John Holden walks his American Border Collie into the university veterinary school.
Photo by SARA SPIGENER
By SARA SPIGENER
If you’re a pet owner, you should take extra precautions in the summer months to keep your pets healthy.
Overheating is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to pet health in the summer. Keep physical activity to a minimum in the middle of the day. Try exercising your pet in the morning or evening when it is coolest, said Kathy Kero, a veterinarian at the University of Georgia Community Practice Clinic.
Most pet owners know not to leave their pets in a car with the windows up, but animals should never be left in a car under any circumstance. Sometimes, especially in the hottest months of summer, all it takes is a few minutes for the temperature inside the car to reach 100 degrees, said Jeff Stortz, a veterinarian at Oconee Veterinary Hospital.
“You wouldn’t want to be left in your car in the summer, so you shouldn’t do it to your pet,” he said.
Outside pets need extra special attention in the summer months to keep them healthy. Make sure there is plenty of shade where your pet is kept outside, and make sure the pet can get to that shade, said Pat Rives, Athens Animal Control superintendent. If your yard is shaded, but your pet is in a pen or tied up and can’t reach it, it doesn’t do them any good.
Keep an eye on your pet’s food and water that is left outdoors. If you feed your pet outside, don’t let extra food just sit in the bowl. This draws insects such as flies and ants. Fly strike is especially common during the summer months when people leave pet food outside, Rives said. Fly strike is the irritation of animals’ ears due to biting flies that are often attracted by food.
Most owners know to keep a supply of fresh, cool water available to their animals. But a lot of times, pets can knock over their water bowls, Rives said. Make sure that the bowl your pet drinks out of is sturdy. Try using a heavy bucket or check the pet store for water bowls that are sturdy and hard to knock over.
Flies are not the only insects to worry about in the summer. Mosquitoes start to show up when the weather gets warm, and this means increased risk of heartworms for your pet, Stortz said. Dogs should be on preventative medication to guard against heartworms, so talk to your veterinarian if your dog isn’t.
Also, summer is the high season for fleas and ticks that can carry disease and cause irritation and infections. These pests can affect any animal, even inside pets, so it is important to keep your yard trimmed and talk to your vet about preventative measures, he said.
Stortz said that one problem that pet owners don’t really think about during the summer is allergies. His office sees a lot of instances of allergies during the summer when pollens and other allergens get worse. If your pet is scratching a lot, you might want to get it checked for allergies. Not only do plants cause allergies, but many of the plants in bloom during the summer are poisonous and can be fatal, Kero said.
Another problem that owners don’t typically think about is chemical ingestion. Some pet owners keep their pets out of the heat by putting them in the garage, but this can expose animals to hazardous insecticides and fertilizers, Kero said. She has seen numerous cases where pets were exposed to antifreeze when their owners were preparing for vacation.
“Just a couple of laps of antifreeze could kill an animal in only a few hours,” she said.
Keep an eye on your pet during the summer. If there is any sudden change in behavior or diet or if the animal becomes more lethargic than usual, make sure to get it examined by a veterinarian right away, Kero said.
If you’re a pet owner, you should take extra precautions in the summer months to keep your pets healthy.
Overheating is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to pet health in the summer. Keep physical activity to a minimum in the middle of the day. Try exercising your pet in the morning or evening when it is coolest, said Kathy Kero, a veterinarian at the University of Georgia Community Practice Clinic.
Most pet owners know not to leave their pets in a car with the windows up, but animals should never be left in a car under any circumstance. Sometimes, especially in the hottest months of summer, all it takes is a few minutes for the temperature inside the car to reach 100 degrees, said Jeff Stortz, a veterinarian at Oconee Veterinary Hospital.
“You wouldn’t want to be left in your car in the summer, so you shouldn’t do it to your pet,” he said.
Outside pets need extra special attention in the summer months to keep them healthy. Make sure there is plenty of shade where your pet is kept outside, and make sure the pet can get to that shade, said Pat Rives, Athens Animal Control superintendent. If your yard is shaded, but your pet is in a pen or tied up and can’t reach it, it doesn’t do them any good.
Keep an eye on your pet’s food and water that is left outdoors. If you feed your pet outside, don’t let extra food just sit in the bowl. This draws insects such as flies and ants. Fly strike is especially common during the summer months when people leave pet food outside, Rives said. Fly strike is the irritation of animals’ ears due to biting flies that are often attracted by food.
Most owners know to keep a supply of fresh, cool water available to their animals. But a lot of times, pets can knock over their water bowls, Rives said. Make sure that the bowl your pet drinks out of is sturdy. Try using a heavy bucket or check the pet store for water bowls that are sturdy and hard to knock over.
Flies are not the only insects to worry about in the summer. Mosquitoes start to show up when the weather gets warm, and this means increased risk of heartworms for your pet, Stortz said. Dogs should be on preventative medication to guard against heartworms, so talk to your veterinarian if your dog isn’t.
Also, summer is the high season for fleas and ticks that can carry disease and cause irritation and infections. These pests can affect any animal, even inside pets, so it is important to keep your yard trimmed and talk to your vet about preventative measures, he said.
Stortz said that one problem that pet owners don’t really think about during the summer is allergies. His office sees a lot of instances of allergies during the summer when pollens and other allergens get worse. If your pet is scratching a lot, you might want to get it checked for allergies. Not only do plants cause allergies, but many of the plants in bloom during the summer are poisonous and can be fatal, Kero said.
Another problem that owners don’t typically think about is chemical ingestion. Some pet owners keep their pets out of the heat by putting them in the garage, but this can expose animals to hazardous insecticides and fertilizers, Kero said. She has seen numerous cases where pets were exposed to antifreeze when their owners were preparing for vacation.
“Just a couple of laps of antifreeze could kill an animal in only a few hours,” she said.
Keep an eye on your pet during the summer. If there is any sudden change in behavior or diet or if the animal becomes more lethargic than usual, make sure to get it examined by a veterinarian right away, Kero said.
Edited by HAL TIFT.
Sara, Hal:
ReplyDeleteThis is a very informative story, and the information is densely packed. Your sources are good and highly authoritative. The story itself feels a little chunky, and I'd mark this as a great candidate for recasting into an alternative story format, which we'll talk about on Friday.
Better take another look at the lead; it doesn't know whether its pronouns want to be in the second or third person.