Before you decide to give your pet a haircut reconsider why a dog has fur on its body. Believe it or not, a pets coat insulates against heat the same way that it insulates against the cold weather. Brush your pet often to remove tangles and mats. Regular brushing will help remove the pets loose undercoat and actually help your pets fur to breathe.
Try not to take your dog walking in the middle of the day because that is the hottest time of the day. The sidewalk can get very hot for your pets feet and you can actually burn your pets paw pads. Your dog can suffer heat distress if you take it walking in the middle of the day when it is too hot. Try to walk your dog earlier in the morning or closer to evening and carry a water bottle so you can give your dog sips of water along the walk.
In summer, it's especially important to keep plenty of water out for your dog. You may want to keep an extra water bowl outdoors if you leave your pet outside all day because the water evaporates more quickly in the summer. Dogs can be very physically distressed if they go a couple of hours in the heat without water. When you take your pet walking or riding around the car in the summer be sure to give it water breaks. Dogs keep cool differently than humans. They don't sweat like humans but they do lose heat and moisture from their tongues by panting.
Dogs can also be bugged by insects. Fleas are more plentiful in summer and they will jump on your dogs in the grassy areas and from the sand at the beach. Fleas can cause your dog to be uncomfortable from scratching and biting their skin as they try to stop the itchy fleas. Mosquitoe bites can spread West Nile virus, tapeworm, and heartworm to your dog. Be sure you give your dog regular heartworm medication every month. You will need a prescription from the veterinarian before you can get the heartworm medication for your dog. Your dog also needs a preliminary blood test prior to taking heartworm medication.
The most important thing you could do for your pet the summer is to not leave your pet alone in a parked car ever, not even for a few minutes. It is so hot in the car in the summer, even in the shade and you can damage your dog's brain or possibly kill your dog from the heat. People do not leave children in cars unattended and should not leave dogs in cars.
If you leave your dog a shallow pool of water outdoors make certain you keep the water fresh and clean. You can add a teaspoon or less of bleach to the water if it is a large children's wading pool. Check the water for floating bees or wasps so the dog does not accidentally drink them or get bitten on the nose or lips.
In some areas of the country there is grass that has foxtail's on the end of the grass. This is prevailant in dry, sunny areas. These end pieces of grass look just like the tail of a fox and can get between your dogs paws or snorted up your dog's nose. Periodically checking between your dogs paws is a good idea. If your dog should get a foxtail up its nose he will need immediate medical attention because the foxtail cannot work its way back out. The foxtail can actually work its way into the dog's brain.
If you suspect your dog has been bitten by an insect, is getting ill from the heat, or has a foxtail up its nose you should seek medical attention from your veterinarian.
Buddy the Dog quenches his thirst
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