1. Summer heat. We here in Florida have a lot of experience with the heat as will many others of you in the midwest and the western states. But we still forget sometimes that the summer heat is deadly for pets. Heatstroke is a very common warm weather problem. Make sure pets that are outdoors have plenty of water and can easily find a place to rest in the shade.
Also, leave your pets at home when running errands in the hot weather. A car temperature rises very quickly, so pets should never be left in a car for any length of time in the heat.
2. Keep your pet's rabies vaccine current to prevent infection from animal bites. With the nice weather, your pet isn't the only animal that will be coming out to play. When I lived in New Jersey, our golden retriever loved to run in the yard in the night air. Unfortunately, so did the neighboring skunks! Beware of skunk attacks; they are worse for you than your pet.
3. Cats breed in the fall, dogs breed in the summer. So for those of you who have not had your pets neutered, watch them more carefully; they may be on the prowl.
4. Never allow your pet to ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Dogs chase cars, and they will jump. Animal clinics have a significant increase in auto/dog accidents when the nice weather arrives.
Walking your pet on a leash is always a good idea, rain or shine. You can avoid many of the problems mentioned above. But above all, I hope you safely enjoy the nice weather with your pets.
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