"hot" topic

Welcome to the new Friends of Estancia Valley Animals website and blog!
We will be periodically  posting educational and/or entertaining information of interest to animal owners and advocates.

This is an appropriate time to review the basics of animal safety during summer weather. For many years I lived in a small community in the Mohave Desert in Arizona where the temperature routinely rose to 110+ in the summer. It was imperative to spend time keeping our animals safe and comfortable. Needless to say I am enjoying the more moderate climate of Edgewood but I'm aware that it is still necessary to make summer adjustments. There are 3 primary areas of concern for summer safety.
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#1 Water - dogs need 1 ounce of fresh water to 1 pound of body weight daily. Puppies may need more and dogs on dry food need more than dogs on canned or wet food. Cats up to 10 pounds need 1/2 to 1 cup of water daily.
#2 Shade - Dogs can tolerate up to 90 degrees when provided with  shade as the sun moves across the daytime sky. Up until now 90 is about maximum temp for the Edgewood area. Dogs sweat primarily by panting and cats sweat primarily through the pads in their feet. Both can get sunburned. Dogs with little pigment in their noses can develop a condition called collie nose (nasal solar dermatitis). Collies and sheepdogs are apparently most susceptible.
#3 Ventilation (moving air) - This is critical enough to receive a lot of publicity regarding leaving dogs in parked cars. Even  moderate heat and leaving the windows cracked can lead to dangerously high temperatures in a matter of minutes. I also know of an instance where a lovely lab was inadvertently enclosed in a tin storage shed for several hours. He did not survive.
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As pet owners we want our animals to enjoy and thrive in the summer months. Pets may enjoy a wading pool, popsicles (water with beef bouillon a suggested favorite)or even a rubdown with a cool,wet towel. If you are too hot your pet probably is too.  Happy summer!