26/10/2017
SURVIVING SUMMER - Tips to help your pups stay cool!
With the Australian Summer heat upon us, it is important to keep our pets safe and comfortable during the hot months. It is that time of year again where it's better to be at the beach or in the pool to help cool off, well not everyone has a pool :( so here are some tips to help with the heat.
Always make sure your pup has a shady place to lie if they are outside during the day and that they have access to lots and lots of water. Dogs often paw the water out of their water bowls (which can leave them with no water) and this is usually to cool their feet off. Dogs feel the heat from the bottom up, so if you find your pup is pawing all of the water out of their bowl get them a little kiddies clam shell & some sandpit sand (check at Bunnings), put it in a shady spot, hose and wet the sand each morning. This will help keep your pups cool, it will also save your yard as dogs will most often dig a hole to lie in to assist with keeping cool. (Don't fill the clam shell with water as this could be a drowning hazard for small children & little pups).
A fantastic way to ensure they have water is to get an automatic water dispenser, we use the Petmate Cafe waterer, it has a 5.6L bottle you fill with water providing nourishment or hydration throughout the day, which releases a continuous flow of water into the bowl so your pup/dog has access to water throughout the day.
Another great tip, is find an empty ice-cream tub or something similar in size, fill full of water and freeze it overnight. When you head out in the morning, tip the big ice block into their water bowl as this way it will melt and ensure your pets have water during the day. Another thing to do is turn it into a meaty Popsicle for them which they will love, when you fill it with water, throw in the table scraps from dinner or some treats. Once frozen, empty it out for them in a nice shady spot and your dog can lick at it, keep cool and get extra excited when they get to the tasty treats that you froze in it.
Another way to ensure your pets stay cool is to get a cool mat which helps keep your pup cool.The Scream Cool Pads assist in keeping your pet cool by absorbing body heat & dissipating this back into the air through evaporation via the areas of the cool pad not in use.
Keep walks to early mornings and late evenings when it is a bit cooler and not as hot. Shorten walks if it is still warm out so your dog is not overheating. Help your dog understand that it is too hot to go out if they are pestering you for a walk, once they walk out that door and get a sense of the heat they will understand that it is too hot outside and will readily accept that inside in the air-conditioning is a much better place to be.
Remember to never leave your dog in the car during as they can easily overheat and can die. If you have to pop into the shops or the like, please drop your dog off home first or even better, leave your dogs at home.
We hope you and your pets have a safe & cool Summer xo