Tips to Keep Your Pets Happy

As June turned into July, which is now getting close to August, the temperatures are getting hotter and hotter. In fact, there are many days when it feels suffocating just to step outside your home! 

Just as we have trouble in the heat, our pets can also. They can also get overheated and suffer from heat stroke. Just like it can be terrifying for us, it can be for them too. It can be deadly, so you need to be prepared to help your pets throughout these hot summer months! 

Here are some ways that you can help your pet this summer.

Make sure that your pets have plenty of water. Your pets need to drink plenty of water in order to cool down and stay hydrated. You may even want to add some ice cubes to your pet's water to help keep him or her cool. 

Your dog may enjoy having a pool. Just like we like to jump in the pool to cool down, there are many dogs who love splashing and playing around in a baby pool.

This may help keep them cool, especially when they have been active outside. However, they may just enjoy it, even if they weren't running around and playing. It can just be a nice way to cool off.

Do your best to keep your pets in the shade. Lying around in the sun can be nice, but everyone needs a place where they can get out of it! If your backyard doesn't have any shade trees, you may want to look into a dog house or shed where your pets can hide. 

If there aren't many places to hide, make sure that you look under your vehicles before you leave. Many animals will hide in the shade of a vehicle, and can get run over when their owners leave. For this reason, you need to look around before you drive off. 

Be careful with exercise. On really hot days, you might not want to take your dog on his or her usual five-mile walk. That may be too much. You can take shorter walks instead. You may want to get up early before the day gets too hot, or wait until it is cooler in the evening. Some people may do a mile in the morning and one in the evening to still get their dog (and themselves) some exercise. 

When you do go out, make sure that you take plenty of breaks. Don't overdo it. If you or your dog need to take a break, do so. Take along plenty of water so that both of you can stay hydrated while you are out. And if you need to stop early, please do so for the health and safety of you and your pet. 

Never leave your pets in a hot car. It is way too hot to leave your pets in the hot car, even with the air conditioner running. It doesn't take long for your car to get over one hundred degrees, which can really hurt your pet (if not kill him or her).

The best way to keep your pets happy and healthy as the temperatures rise is to make sure that they have enough water. If you have a dog that loves to play outside, a kiddie pool may be the best. It is a good way for them to cool off after a good romp. You should also make sure that there is plenty of shade in your yard, so that they can get out of the sun if needed.

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Previously published on Medium and/or Newsbreak.