Summer Safety Tips for Pets
We love our three dogs, two male English Springer Spaniels and a female Brittany. Nothing is more important than keeping them happy, healthy and safe. As professional pet sitters we visit with multiple pets on a daily basis. Their welfare is of great importance to us also. In that spirit we offer these summer safety tips for pets.
- If your dogs eat kibble (ours eat Taste of the Wild) be sure to store the food in a safe manner. It’s important to retain the bag in case of recalls. If you dog becomes ill you will also want to check the lot number in the unlikely event there was a problem with that batch of dog food. If you dump the dog food into a plastic container without cleaning it between new bags the food can become contaminated and rancid. In summer temperatures that becomes even more likely. That’s why we store the entire bag of dog food inside an airtight plastic container. We close the bag to help keep it fresh and store it in the plastic container in our “dog palace.” Our “dog palace” is an over sized laundry/storage/dog shower/dog crate room that is heated and air conditioned. Luke, Daisy Mae and Trooper enter and exit our house here, eat in this room, get their paws wiped down and chill out when they are dirty.
- Although the temps are going down, it is still too hot to leave your dog in the car. Even if the top temp is only 78 degrees the temps in a closed car will rise to 90 degrees in five minutes and 110 degrees in 25 minutes. I don’t know about you, but I have never been able to get in and out of any store in five minutes. Even in the shade and with windows cracked it will get waaayyy too hot. It only takes 15 minutes for an animal to get heat stroke and die in a hot car! Please leave Fido at home to chill out in the AC. If you see a dog (or child) left alone in a car please check with the store manager and if the parent does not return soon, call law enforcement.
- Teach your children that dogs and cats are living beings with feelings. For safety also let them know to always ask permission before petting a dog or cat. Let your children know they must leave the dog alone when he is in his crate because that is his safe space.
- Focus on teaching your child to use gentle behavior when interacting with dogs. Make sure your children know not to tease a dog by taking his toys or treats. Only by teaching empathy can we assure the safety of our children and our pets.
When we fail to teach basic safety and empathy we risk the danger of injured children and euthanized pets.
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