Summer Safety for your Pets

Author: Amanda   Date Posted:19 January 2018 

SUN SAFETY AND PETS

Living in Australia, we all know the importance of protecting ourselves from the sun’s harmful rays.  But did you know that it is just as important to protect our pets?

Slip, slop, slap isn’t just for humans it’s also a message we should keep in mind for our four-legged friends. They may be covered in fur, but the sun can do some serious damage to dogs if they’re not properly protected in the heat of summer.

Any dog or cat can get sunburned, but hairless dogs and cats (eg. The Sphynx cat or Chinese Crested dog), pets with white hair, white and pink skinned pets, and those animals that have very short hair (whether natural or cut) are particularly sensitive to the sun. Outside living pets and those whose hair is clipped to expose a lot more of their skin are also more susceptible to getting sunburned.Any exposed area of a dog or cat can get sunburned, particularly where there is white or pink skin, but the most susceptible places are the ears (both inner and outer surfaces), nose, lips, snout, eyelids and belly.

If your dog is one that likes to lie on their back exposing their belly and inner thighs (generally where the hair is quite thin), then it is important also to protect them against sunburn. If a pet gets sunburn, just like humans they can suffer nasty consequences.  UV radiation is a factor in some dog cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma, a malignant cancer, which can spread to other parts of the body.  Another cancer thought to be UV-induced is dermal haemangioscarcoma. Prevention is always better than cure, so it’s important to practice sun safety on your pets.

 

 

Protecting your pet from the sun can be made simple with just a few simple tips.

• Provide your pet shade particularly during the hottest part of the day (10am-3pm).   Your cat or dog should always have access to shaded areas around the yard, or be allowed to come inside when the sun is at its peak.
• A great outdoor bed for dogs is the Mutt Hutt as they protect your pet from the sun and elements and keep your dog off the ground away from pesky ants and insects.  These are made of a durable fabric and are easy to assemble.
• Apply pet sunscreen.  Pet specific sunscreens are available such as Petkin Doggy Sun Wipes, Doggy SunMist, Doggy Sun Stick, Protecta cream and FiltaBac (for use in dogs, cats, horses and livestock) . Pet-specific sunscreens are designed just for animals and these are the only ones that should be used, NRG Noze Cream can be used for horses with white noses or pink skin.
•  Don’t use a human sunblock.  Some of the substances contained in these are toxic to animals, and if your pet licks the sunscreen off it can cause toxicity.. Zinc oxide in human sunblock can cause zinc toxicity if the dog ingests a certain amount. So for dogs, avoid zinc-containing creams and avoid PABA-containing creams.
• Although we may think shaving our dog in summer is a great idea, cutting their hair too short can actually increase their vulnerability to the sun.  Always maintain at least a half an inch of hair.

We have a range of clippers and blades to help keep your pet's hair trimmed for summer.  Mars Coat Kings are good to use to remove undercoat  and dead hair.  Tropiclean have a fantastic grooming range for your pets to keep them clean and smelling great.

 

Other summer nasties

Sunburn isn’t the only thing to watch out for in the heat of summer. Heatstroke occurs when heat generation exceeds the body’s ability to dissipate heat. Heatstroke is serious and can be fatal.  It can cause organ damage or organ failure.

Pets at greater risk of heatstroke are ones that are:

• Obese
• Have respiratory disease
• Brachycephalic dogs and cats  (for example - Boxer, Pugs, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs & Persian Cats)

It is important to make sure that you keep a close eye on your pets when the weather is particularly hot and humid. 

 

TIPS TO PREVENT HEAT STROKE IN PETS

• Only walk your dog in the early morning or evening when the weather cools down
• NEVER leave your dog in a car unattended!  Even on mild days the temperature inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels.  For example one study that found that when the ambient temperature is 22C, the temperature in a car can rise to over 47C in 60 minutes.  Have you ever sat in a car on a hot day with the window just slightly opened?  Trust me after a few minutes you will soon realise that it is not safe to leave your dog in a car.
• Always provide your pets with a cool, shaded area with good ventilation,. On those really hot days, bring dogs and cats indoors where the environment is cooler.
• Dehydration can lead to heatstroke. It’s important to make sure there is plenty of clean, fresh water around for pets, enough to cope with any spillage. Some dogs like to sit in cool water or splash themselves so, if possible, try and provide a larger water container or a kid’s clamshell that allows them to do this.
• Automatic waterers are a great idea to provide a constant supply of water for your pet.  These are great for dogs that love to splash and dig in their water bowl (like my dog Bodhi) as it will always continue to supply fresh water.  Pet fountains – Drinkwell and Pioneer are also recommended as they provide your pet with filtered clean water.  Cats (especially those that like to drink from running taps) love these fountains that provide aeratored clean running water.  Some cats don’t drink enough water, which can lead to kidney problems.  These fountains help to combat this problem.
• Cooling mats are a great idea to allow your pet access to lie on around the house and yard.  Snugglesafe make a large and small size cooling mat that instantly lowers your pets temperature and provides them a cool place to rest.   They are also ideal to take with you and your dog if you are out at the beach, camping  or travelling in the car.
• It doesn’t matter what age a dog or cat is, they can all suffer from too much exposure to the sun. Older dogs and cats may find the extreme heat tougher but younger dogs and cats can be just as susceptible to heat-related illnesses and conditions.
• By taking the proper precautions, you and your pet can be free to enjoy all the opportunities for fun that the warmer months provide.
• Ensure bird cages are moved to shaded areas and have adequate ventilation. Remember to top up their water bowls or have multiple bowls available.
• Use a spray bottle or the mist setting on your hose to give your birds a bath.  Daily bathing for birds including parrots is important to keep their feathers in good condition.  When the temperature reaches into 30s regular misting should occur throughout the day to prevent heat stroke.
• The Parrot Shower/Window Perch is a great product to cool your parrot down.  Simply suction on to your shower wall or window (only if safety measures are in place that your bird cannot fly away) and let them have fun in the water. For smaller birds such as budgies the Bird Bath is a great option 
• Ensure your small animals that live in hutches outside are moved to an area where it is shaded.  Chateus, Walk up Barns and Bungalows are a good idea to place in  your small animal hutch to give them shelter and security. 
• Provide them with multiple water bottles such as the Chewproof Water Bottles to drink from.

 

TIPS FOR HORSE OWNERS

• Ensure your horse has plenty of fresh drinking water available and check their water trough
• Only ride them in the coolest part of the day
• Hosing off your horse at the end of the day removes the sweat that attracts flies
• Always allow your horse to have access to shaded areas in the paddock
• If your horse is kept inside, place a fan in their stall to enable adequate ventilation
• Always keep a salt block in your horse’s pasture so she can lick it when they like. Salt is an essential mineral that a horse loses when they sweats. A horse may sweat a lot in the summer, especially when its ridden, so it must be able to lick a salt block whenever it wants.

 

Signs of heatstroke include:

• incessant panting
• weakness
•  fatigue
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Muscle tremors
• muscle spasms
• signs of mental confusion
• Staggering
• Collapsing

  

If you suspect your dog or cats  is suffering from heatstroke it’s important to start treatment as soon as possible to try and normalise their temperature. A wet towel can be used and placed over your pet’s body.  Alternatively apply or spray tepid to cool water onto the pet’s fur and skin.  A fan can be used to help normalise their body temperature.

 

DO NOT USE COLD WATER OR ICE! 

• This can exacerbate the problem.
• Like sunburn, heatstroke is a highly preventable condition.
• A First Aid Kit is an essential for all pet owners to have

 

COOL TREATS FOR YOUR DOG

Combine the fun of your dog's toy with a summer cool down.  Kongs  can be stuffed and frozen for extended play time - use chicken or beef broth or your dog's favourite flavours and place in the freezer.  Another great alternative is to place water, chicken stock, some dog biscuits and a few small toys in a container that can fit in your freezer and freeze this for the ultimate dog popsicle!  This will keep them well and truly occupied.  Alternatively fill an ice cube container with chicken or beef broth and give to your dog as a mini summer treat.

  

 

PESKY INSECTS AND PARASITES

Flies are winged insects that are not only annoying, but they can transmit disease. They belong to a large, complex order of insects called Diptera. As adults, flies may feed on blood, saliva, tears, or mucus. They also spread bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Biting flies feed on animal blood. This group includes mosquitoes, black flies, sand flies, biting midges, mosquitoes, horse flies. Biting flies are certainly annoying and can cause painful bites and allergic reactions in your pets. Horses in QLD can also suffer from QLD Itch causing them to scratch, suffer hair loss and even cause bleeding. Remember mosquitoes can transmit heartworm to dogs and cats so it is important to ensure your pet is kept up to date with this preventative.

There are numerous products that are available to repel these pesky insects.

• Buzz off – repels flies and mosquitos
• Flygon – repels flies and lice
• Permoxin - controls fleas, ticks and biting insects
• Advantix - fleas, ticks, lice & mosquitoes
• Value Plus Fly Spray biting insects including flys and lice
• Protecta Cream - keeps flys and mosquitoes away
• Check out our other Insecticide products to help keep these pests away
• Fly Masks – essential to keep pesky insects away from your horses’ sensitive eye area.
• Tear Stop  Rugs, Koolmaster Air Max Combo, Koolmaster Flag Rug Combo-  Lite summer rugs for your horse
• GG Insect Shield Fly Sheet Combo essential to keep pesky insects away from your horse

 

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