Summer and pets can go together with proper care
Apr. 11—KINGWOOD — Summer is on the way and it's time to think about keeping pets safe.
"Summer is the time when you think about keeping your pets cool and providing them with plenty of shade and water, " Alix Evans, director of the Preston County Humane Society Spay and Neuter Program, said.
She said individuals should modify a pet's exercise and go for shorter evening walks. Humans are not the only ones who can suffer heat strokes.
"The symptoms of heat stroke is excessive panting, a dark or red tongue and gums, lethargy, stumbling, diarrhea, vomiting and seizures, " Evans said.
She said immediate treatment for heat stroke is cooling the pet down by pouring water over them.
"When they come out of the symptoms, take them to the vet. Their organs can become affected by the experience, " Evans said.
"When I was working at a different job before coming to Preston County, I would take cats to the vet and pick them up after work, " she said. "One day I picked up a neighbor's cat for her and I put it on a cage on the floor. We got stuck behind a road block and the cat started convulsing. I had water and I dumped it over the cat. A few minutes later it came out of it."
She said one way to help cats keep cool is to give them ice cubes to play with or a wet towel.
"Groom them, that keeps their fur in good condition and helps diffuse the heat, " Evans said.
She said keep pets safe when traveling—they can jump out of a vehicle and be killed or injured.
Evans said just like humans, pets can become sunburned—especially those with light-colored fur. There are sunscreens made especially for pets.
She said other things to be careful of include hot spots (cars and buildings), fish hooks, insecticides, insect stings, fleas and ticks, water safety, other animals and antifreeze, which is fatal to pets.
"If you use the flea-tick medicine you spread on the back of your pet's neck, make sure you are giving the right dose. It can kill your pet." Evans said. "I recently had someone call me who had laid out flea medicine for both the dog and the cat. The cat was accidentally given the dog flea medicine and it died."
In summer, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other parasites abound. They carry tapeworms, heart worms, Lyme disease, or Bartonella, that can harm your pet. Talk with your vet. He or she can prescribe the appropriate medication to keep your pet pest-free.
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