The Tribune

School is out and the hurricane season has begun. As a high school and college student I always looked forward toward my summer break. Summertime is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors and spend longer days with our pets. However, with the joys of the summer, there are dangers, and they are related to the heat and the pests that occur primarily in the summer months.

Summer Heat: What are the signs of heatstroke in pets?

Cats and dogs have little choice when it comes to keeping cool in the summer heat. How many times have you seen a dog tied up in the yard with no shelter? How many times have you seen a dog left in the car locked up? I have been asked a million times to write on the ills of neglect by Bahamian pet owners during the summer months. So today I will try to shine light on the risks of keeping pets during these hot times.

Hot weather creates many hazards for your pets. Unlike humans, your pets cannot change their wardrobe or turn on the air conditioner to keep cool and comfortable. Dogs cannot really sweat to cool off like us humans and they cannot talk and tell us that they are hot. There are obvious things we can do as responsible animal owners in providing an environment that is conducive to their overall well being such as providing shelter and shade, providing fresh cool water, and maintaining good grooming year round. So your dog need not have dread locks in the summer.

Pet owners need to be aware of ways that your pet could accidentally be caught without shade. Is your dog tied out and could potentially get caught in the full sun. Will the shade be available all day? While the dog house or shelter provides shade, is it hotter inside the shelter? I tell my clients all the time when they tell me that the dog does not sleep in the dog house provided that they should try laying in there themselves and see if they are comfortable, if not they need to make adjustments to the shelter or kennel. When possible, always place the dog kennel or shelter under trees to utilize the shade that a tree provides. Also always provide fresh cool water at all times and make sure your pets cannot spill the water source.

If your pet is indoors, is air conditioning available all day? I don’t think so with these BEC rates today. Will the house stay cool throughout the day? It is recommended that you leave on a ceiling fan to ensure that it stays cool. Do not plan long walks or go jogging in the heat of the day. It is recommended that you go early in the morning or in the evening time. If you do go for a walk during the day when it is hot it is recommended that you carry along some fresh water.

Never leave your pet in the car even if it is only for a quick errand. This is very dangerous even on days that are mildly warm. If you see a pet locked in a car, please call the Bahamas Humane Society immediately, you may save a life.

Protect your pet against flies

Flies pose painful and sometimes very serious health problems for pets, often seen when a pet is already injured or ill: for example, with a draining wound or a pet that is experiencing diarrhoea and so on. This unpleasant problem is caused when flies lay their eggs on the diseased tissue or dead stinking and rotting material and maggots are born. Maggots are the larvae (immature form) of flies. The flies lay their eggs and these eggs develop into larvae or maggots. The maggots eat dead and rotting tissue and look like small white worms. They appear quite fast (approximately 8 – 12 hours) and will eat away tissue on your pet if certain conditions are present: vomit, diarrhoea, skin infection etc. The larvae only eats dead tissue, but can be extremely painful and irritating to the pet. Treatment involves physical removal of the maggots, wound cleaning and the removal of the remaining dead tissue or faecal matter. Antibiotics should be given to aid and speed up the healing process.

Parasite control,

fleas and ticks

Fleas have a complex, four stage life cycle. Control of fleas on your pet and in your home, must address all stages of the life cycle to stop the problem of flea infestation. Ticks are also a big nuisance to pets and people. We have seen an increase in the number of cases of Ehrlichiosis during the summer and that is because of the ticks. We recommend Frontline, Paramite Dip, Preventic Collars and regular bathing to control fleas and ticks during the summer.

Loud noise phobia

fireworks and thunders

The summer months can be noisy, and for some pets, this goes beyond the simple volume level. The noise from fireworks on Independence Day (July 4th and 10th) and thunderstorms can terrify the pet to the point of physical illness or injury trying to escape the noise. Protect your pet by providing a safe place – somewhere small and familiar to your pet, such as a crate.