Well it has been a while since I’ve last posted! PhD life has really been a bit of a rush recently. I am in the last stages of my qualifying exams which consist of 8 hours of written exams followed by 3 hours of an oral examination. I also had an entire week out of commission due to an insane bout of noro virus, AND I’ve been working to get my research students out on the road to help me with my summer project! busy busy busy BUT, and I know you were wondering, I did not forget to give my dog her first dose of flea tick and heartworm medication. You’ve already done so right?

Let’s go over some of the things we need to start considering when the sun is out and the mercury starts rising.

News flash: hot cars are hot, try it for yourself if you don’t believe me,… Any time spent locked up in a hot car is too much time. Leave the pets at home. If you need the science behind it,…well you shouldn’t, many young children and pets die from the extreme heat they experience in these situations EVERY summer.

Hot pavement is also quite hot (really also shouldn’t be a surprise). I’ve seen a few pets come in to see me in the summer with terrible blistering on their paws. Short walks, trying to avoid walking strictly on the dark asphalt, and keeping to the grass is your best bet. Obviously this isn’t all summer long but keep it in mind on the super hot days and carefully observe your pets for signs of discomfort.

Suns out, bugs out– While the exact times during the spring and summer these bugs come out differs, as an overall rule, as soon as the frost is done we need to start considering tick prevention. As the heat increases, flea life cycles increase (more fleas in less time) and mosquitoes are out looking for blood (literally). All three of these are an issue for pets so it only makes sense that we make sure they have the proper prevention in place during the warm months.

Shedding, so. much. shedding. For those of you who have breeds that don’t shed,….claim your blissful ignorance and move on. For those of us who can create an extra dog/cat with all of the hair that is shed we need to keep our pets well groomed (furminators are a life saver), ensuring the extra undercoat is removed will help maximize their ability to thermo-regulate.

This isn’t exclusive to summer, but ensure your pets always have access to fresh clean cool water. BONUS level: try giving your pet some ice cubes or try freezing some of your dogs kibble in a kong with some water or chicken broth.

Cat owners: I haven’t forgotten about you. If you were to follow my blog you’d know I prefer that owners keep their cats indoors but for those who are the risk takers. The same concepts apply, heat kills, parasites flourish, cats ALSO need water (what?!). So if your fur ball goes outside make sure they can find shelter, somewhere SAFE they can escape the sun and heat. Make sure they have their flea and tick medications on board. Make sure they are dewormed regularly (unless you love parasites squirming in your house).