Summer offers fantastic opportunities for dog owners. We can organize countless joint programs, have the chance to do sports, go to the beach, swim, and play a lot outdoors with our dog.
But be careful, at the same time summer carries risks regarding the health of dogs. Below we go through the risk factors that you should keep in mind throughout the entire season.
Health Tips
We know our own dog better than anyone else, but it is important to note that most people are not health professionals. If you are unsure how to handle your dog's health needs or have any important health questions, definitely consult your own veterinarian, or in case of emergency, any veterinarian or animal clinic who can provide immediate assistance for your dog. It is important to always keep the following information in mind regarding health:
- Always pay attention to mandatory vaccinations and booster shots! Necessary precautions must be taken to prevent always-present dangers such as rabies, distemper, and parvoviral enteritis.
- Ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, flies, and other insects multiply during the summer and attack our dogs too! Discuss protection against them with your veterinarian! The range of options is huge nowadays; you can choose the most suitable for your dog from collars, sprays, spot-on medications, shampoos, and other products!
- Fleas, mold, flowers, and other allergens are common in the summer season. Allergy in dogs can cause itching and along with it excessive scratching, dermatitis, coughing, sneezing, discomfort, and other health problems. If possible, keep your dog away from the allergen, especially if you know what your dog is allergic to. Ask your veterinarian for advice on what medicinal treatment can help manage your dog's allergy.
- Dogs living outdoors during summer are more exposed to the elements, so more attention must be paid to maintaining their health. These dogs often require more frequent grooming, brushing, and occasional more frequent bathing!
- Protect your dog from insect bites! If your dog has been bitten or stung, remove the stinger and watch for allergic reactions. If an allergic reaction occurs or if you notice multiple wasp, bee, or mosquito stings on your dog, be sure to take them to the veterinarian!
- Most lawn care products and other garden products can be dangerous! Be careful and make sure that the plants and fertilizers accessible to your dog are not toxic.
- No matter how careful or responsible an owner you are, accidents can happen anytime. Make sure you have the phone number of your vet or animal clinic handy and accessible to all family members if needed.
General Safety Measures
Anyone can feel uncomfortable in warm weather, and dogs are no exception. Here are some safety measures for responsible dog owners:
- Never leave your dog unattended directly in the sun or in a closed vehicle. The dog's body temperature can rise dangerously high because they cannot evaporate moisture as quickly as they heat up, so they can suffer heatstroke. It is very important to take a dog that has suffered heatstroke to a veterinarian immediately because the dog can quickly suffer brain damage from which it cannot recover. Signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, salivation, restlessness, rapid pulse, trembling, and high body temperature. If at any time you notice these symptoms of heatstroke in your dog, immerse it immediately in cold water and seek further veterinary assistance immediately because the later the dog reaches the vet’s care, the lower the chance of survival. Heatstroke most often occurs when the dog is left in a closed car or when it is exposed to the sun for a prolonged period. Prevention means always providing the dog with a shady and cool place to rest and never leaving it in a closed car, because even with the window down in summer, the temperature inside rises to unbearable levels within minutes, causing heatstroke. You can read everything about heatstroke in more detail in our article>>.
- On hot days, try to avoid strenuous exercise with your dog and also refrain from continuous physical activity when the sun is at its strongest. Heat stroke can occur from any exertion and intense physical activity during the summer heat.
- Pay special attention to your dog's paws! Streets, sidewalks, sand, and other surfaces can burn your dog's paw pads! Asphalt can heat up quickly in summer heat, and if your dog walks for a longer time on hot asphalt, their paws can get burned. Press your hand on the warm surface for 30 seconds to test it before your dog steps on it. If it burns your hand, it will also burn your dog's paw pads. This is why it is advisable to schedule daily walks early in the morning or late in the evening during summer.
- Be mindful of dehydration! To prevent dehydration, make sure your dog has unlimited access to fresh cold drinking water both indoors and outdoors continuously throughout the summer. Dehydration is also promoted if you moisten the dog food with some cold water during daily feeding.
- Take care of your dog's safety during thunderstorms! Thunderstorms increase in summer and are accompanied by thunder and lightning. Loud thunder can frighten your dog, and lightning could strike them, so it is advisable to keep the dog in a closed place until the storm passes.
- If you travel by car with your dog, watch out for dangers! Make sure your dog does not stick its head out of the moving car window or hang out of the car for a long time, as branches or rocks can pose a danger. Also be careful because if your dog leans out too far, it might fall out or suddenly jump out.
- If your dog is in an unfamiliar environment, make sure it does not get lost! Wherever you travel with your dog during summer, walk it on a leash in unfamiliar places and do not remove the leash. If your dog accidentally runs away, a microchip can help you find it.
Good tips for going to the beach
Going to the beach with your dog can be a great way to spend a beautiful summer day. However, as a responsible dog owner, there are certain precautions you should observe:
- You cannot bring your dog to every beach! There are few beaches or lakes in the country where dogs are allowed to swim. Always check local regulations before planning a trip with your dog to the specific beach. You can search for dog-friendly beaches in Hungary here >>,
- Make sure that at the bathing site your dog can rest in the shade and gets plenty of fresh water.
- If your dog is not athletic and is not used to this kind of activity, do not encourage it to run on the sand. Running on sand can be strenuous exercise for dogs not accustomed to it, so their muscles or ligaments can easily get strained.
- Just like people, dogs can get sunburned. White, light-colored, hairless, and sparsely haired dogs are at risk. To prevent sunburn, use waterproof sunscreen or oil marketed for infants or specifically for dogs. Make sure the sunscreen fully covers the dog's ears, tip of the nose, skin around the mouth, and back.
- Be cautious about chemicals in the water! It is no secret that most dogs love to swim. Swimming can be fun for you and your dog and helps prevent heat stroke. However, chlorine can irritate your dog's skin and cause stomach upset. Always rinse your dog with fresh water after swimming in a pool and do not let it drink more than a few sips of the chlorinated pool water. Standing waters like puddles and quarry ponds can also be dangerous as they may contain antifreeze or other chemicals. Therefore, do not allow your dog to drink from puddles or standing water; instead, offer fresh drinking water frequently.
Good tips for swimming
Most dogs naturally know how to swim and love it. But before your dog goes into the water for the first time, do a test. Here are some tips to help:
- Never throw your dog into the water.
- Start in shallow water and call your dog in by name. Try to guide it to understand that swimming is a great pleasure and a game at the same time. Keep an eye on it continuously and always stay close.
- Another way to introduce your dog to water is with a dog who already swims well and behaves friendly, like a good friend to your dog. Let your dog follow the new friend in the water.
- If the dog is only paddling with its front legs, lift its back legs and help it float. After this, the dog will instinctively start paddling with its back legs as well.
- Swimming is a great exercise, but don’t let your dog overdo it. Since swimming heavily works muscles in the body that were previously only used for movement, it can tire and exhaust more quickly.
- Be careful with strong tides, as these are dangerous even for the best swimmers.
- Never leave your dog unattended! Watch it and always be in a position to help it get out of the water!
These summer safety tips and advice generally apply to dogs, but no one knows their own dog better than themselves.
Enjoy the summer with your dog, but be aware of the possible dangers, which is why this article was created! Thank you for honoring us with your attention and for reading.
After all this, we wish you and your family a pleasant summer free of accidents and illnesses together with your dog(s)!
Please share this post with your friends and other dog lovers, as it may be useful to them too! Thank you!
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Further useful and valuable articles for dog lovers can be found on the author's official website.
Look for Ildikó Vámosi, dog article writer, author's official website:
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