This summer has been extra hot! Not only am I suffering from the heatwave but so is Winston when he goes outside. Luckily our house is air conditioned but as soon as that flat Pug face steps into the heat you would think he was dying. Here are some tips to keep your dog/cats cool the rest of the summer.
* Hydration is key! Always have plenty of water available for your pets. Dehydration is easy in such high temperatures and if your pet spends a lot of time outside make sure you keep a big water bowl outdoors as well as indoors.
* If you like to lounge in the outdoors and your dog likes to be right next to you, like Winston is always glued to my hip, make sure you have a shaded area for them and even a kiddie pool for them to lay in.
* Instead of walking your dog in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day, do it really early in the morning or wait until night when the sun has gone down. A good rule of thumb is if you can't handle the heat of the asphalt on your bare feet then your dog can most definitely NOT handle it on their sensitive paws.
* For your cats give them a big box to lay in. The cardboard stays cool and they also have a little play area. I always save a few boxes from Costco and let the cats have free reign of them.
* If you don't have air conditioning a simple hack is to put a tray of ice cubes in front of a box fan and let it blow on them. It mimics air conditioning and will cool down your cats or dogs. I have even taken a cold wash cloth and rubbed Winston's belly with it or used an ice cube. A good investment though is a Cooling Bandana which you can find anywhere from Petco to Walmart. Winston loves his and it instantly cools him down on extra hot days when we go to my parent's house that doesn't have air conditioning.
* In general when you go anywhere with your dog make sure you have water with you and a bowl. These are my necessities when taking Winston places.
Have a fun summer but also a responsible one!
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