Make sure your dog or cat always has a fresh water point available, do not hesitate to decorate it with ice cubes that can amuse him and encourage him to drink, or invest in a fountain for cats. If your pet doesn’t seem to be drinking enough, adding wet food, mash, along with its kibble is an additional source of hydration.
You can also have fun (with the children) making ice cubes with cucumber mixed in a blender, or peach pieces, for example if your dog likes a piece of fruit from time to time. Once frozen and uncast, it will occupy him, delight him, and refresh him.
The fur has an insulating function against the cold but also against the heat as it makes it possible to contain a layer of air that circulates in contact with the skin which has a cooling effect. So it is a mistake to think that it is imperative to cut your animal before summer, especially since it exposes the skin and makes it vulnerable to the sun’s rays. On the other hand, to lower your animal’s body temperature, there are a few tips: keep a bag of vegetables taken out of the freezer in its basket, put a damp towel on the ground for it to sleep on, there are also cooling pads on the market and even cooling vests/harnesses/bandanas.
Another solution: regularly put a damp glove over your pet, mainly on the head, use a syringe or massage between its pads with 70° alcohol (unless cuts!) to bring a refreshing gleam.
Customize outputs.
We avoid going out in the hottest hours, but do not deprive you of long walks early in the morning or late at night. Your dog/cat sleeps more than usual during the day, it’s also his way of fighting the heatby limiting physical exertion. During the day, be careful of bitumen, manhole covers, which can burn the bearings and avoid standing still on the asphalt!
Beware of accidents!
Leaving your dog locked in a car, forgetting your cat on the porch or on the balcony because the French window is closed accidentally, yes, these are situations that can happen. It’s not abuse, but it could be an oversight, an absence, maybe negligence, but it happens. In a few minutes, the dog or cat can have a real heat stroke, because it regulates its body temperature worse than us, and it can be fatal in 20 minutes. Let us always be vigilant !
Always leave access to a shaded room, with the shutters closed, for your dog or cat in very hot weather.
