Mondays with Moody: Keeping Your Pets Cool

Happy Monday, friends!

The kids may have gone back to school, but we’re still very much in the heat of summer in my home state of Florida. The days are longer, the temperature is higher and while we love spending time in the great outdoors, we need to take some extra precautions to keep our furry four-legged friends safe. After all, we’re sporting a fur coat in this weather!

1- Find shade. Make sure there are places your pet can go to get out of the sun, even if it’s just for a break.

2- Protect their paws. We love going for walks, but sun reflects off pavement and can make it very, very hot. Test the pavement by placing your hand on it before we head out. If you can’t keep your hand on it for more than 3 seconds, it’s too hot for our paws.

3- Stay hydrated. Make sure we have access to fresh, cool water no matter what.

4- Know the signs of a heatstroke. Did you know that animals pant to keep our body temperature down? However, if the humidity is too high, we can’t get cool. Heavy panting, signs of disorientation and excessive water consumption are all signs of a heatstroke. When in doubt, call or visit your vet ASAP!

5- Never, ever leave us in the car. After an hour, the average in-car temperature is 43 degrees higher than the outdoor temperature. So if it’s 85 degree outside, it’s a whopping 128 degrees in your car. This is too hot, even for short periods of time. Just bring us in with you, or leave us home while you run your errands.

Remember human friends, we love spending time outdoors (well, most of us do, anyway)! We just need to be safe. Preventing health issues before they occur helps both you and your pet enjoy fun in the sun.