After a long, cold and seemingly unending winter, it may seem that we will never have to worry about the effects of warm weather ever again. However, whilst we may well be used to dealing only with the cold and wet weather, heat waves are still extremely likely over the summer months, and the cold winter may well have left the majority of us rather complacent about dealing with heat.
Hot weather can be fatal for pets and unless you are ready to adapt your schedule according to the weather you could be causing your pet avoidable health problems and, especially with older animals, even end up increasing the chances of death.
Dogs may well die in hot cars, but they can also die out of them too, and if your dogs are getting a great deal of exercise outdoors in the hottest weather then you will need to care for them accordingly. Not only will they need an increased fluid intake over the summer months, but you will also need to ensure that they have plenty of places to seek shade too. Just as we can suffer from the effects of exposure to too much sun, so can cats and dogs, and not only will you need to offer your pet shade, but you will also need to make that they seek it out occasionally if they don’t think of doing so themselves.
Just as cars are dangerous for dogs in the hot weather, so might the likes of conservatories, and the house in general. If you are leaving your pet home alone for any length of time, make sure that you leave windows open or air conditioning on to ensure the house does not get too warm for them if the day gets particularly hot – and again, be sure to leave them plenty of water.
Finally, the right pet food will be important too, and if they are not getting the right nutrients, they will tire far more easily in the sun, and will also simply feel under the weather.