This information can help you care for your companion animal when the mercury rises.

• Overheating (heat prostration) can kill an animal. Never leave an animal alone in a vehicle, since even with the windows open, a parked car, truck or van can quickly become a furnace. Parking in shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the day. When traveling, carry a gallon thermos filled with fresh, cold water.
• Don't force your animal to exercise after a meal in hot,humid weather. Always exercise him or her in the cool of the early morning or evening.
• In extremely hot weather, don't leave your dog standing on the street, and keep walks to a minimum. He is much closer to the hot asphalt and his body can heat up quickly. His paws can burn since they are not protected by shoes.
• Never take an animal to the beach unless you can provide a shaded spot and plenty of fresh water for her to drink. Rinse her off after she has been in salt water.
• Always provide plenty of shade for an animal staying outside the house. A properly constructed dog house serves best. Bring your dog or cat inside during the heat of the day and let her rest in a cool part of your house. Always provide plenty of cool, clean water for your animal.
• Please be sensitive to old and overweight animals in hot weather. Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs (especially bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus) and those with heart or lung diseases should be kept indoors in air-conditioning as much as possible.
• Keep a current license and identification tag on your dog or cat and consider tattooing or microchipping as a means of permanent identification.
• Avoid walking your dog in areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals, as poisonings increase during the summer when gardens, lawns and trees are sprayed. These chemicals can sicken or kill an animal. Call your veterinarian or The ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA/NAPCC) if you suspect your animal has been poisoned.
• Be alert for coolant leaking from your vehicle. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant and ingesting just a small amount can cause an animal's death. Consider using animal-friendly products that use propylene glycol rather than those containing ethylene glycol.
• A clean coat can help to prevent summer skin problems, so keep your dog or cat well groomed. If he has a heavy coat, shaving your dog's hair to a 1-inch length will help prevent overheating. Don't shave a dog's hair down to the skin; this robs him of protection from the sun. A cat should be brushed frequently to keep his coat tangle-free.
• Take your companion animal to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer checkup, including a test for heartworm if your dog isn't on year-round preventative medication. Have the doctor recommend a safe, effective flea and tick control program.
• Never tie an animal outside on a correction collar. He can choke to death. If you must tether him, use a buckle collar with identification tags instead. (This applies in any season.)
• Never let your animal run loose. This is how an animal can contract a fatal disease, including rabies, or be injured, killed or stolen. Be sure there are no open, unscreened windows or doors through which your animal can fall or jump.

Courtesy of, ASPCA
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128-6804
212-876-7700
www.aspca.org

Keeping Pet Food Fresh
Always keep canned pet food refrigerated after opening.

If you store dry pet food in a container other than its original bag, be sure to wash the empty container with soap and water before adding food from a new bag. The residual fat that settles on the bottom of the container can become rancid beyond its shelf life (the date stamped on the bag). This spoiled fat may contaminate fresh food added to the container, causing vomiting or diarrhea when fed to your pet.


Table Scraps May Be Dangerous to Your Pet
Most people think a food that they eat is good for their pets. Not always true. Some human foods, in fact, may be dangerous to pets. Most pet owners simply do not know that small amounts of chocolate, onions, macadamia nuts and bread dough can be fatal if ingested by a dog, And cats, in particular, have a body chemistry quite different from ours, and so are susceptible to foods similar to those which cause problems in dogs. Also, because of their body chemistry and nutritional requirements, cats should not be fed dog food.


Traveling with Your Pet
Many injuries, deaths, and escapes can be attributed to either the pet trying to escape the travel kennel and as a result hurting its paws and/or gums, or due to actual escape. Escapes can be due to a variety of causes. For example, a dog can chew its way out of the kennel if it can get its upper and lower teeth between slits or holes in the plastic sufficient enough to apply force; dogs and cats may be able to push the door open or partially open and escape or get stuck and suffocate.



Selecting a Travel Container for Your Pet

• Look for one that is put together securely, e.g., locking bolts.
• Look for metal doors instead of plastic (pets may be able to chew through or bend/buckle plastic doors).
• Stronger doors have 4 metal rods that fasten the door to the container.
• Ensure door lock mechanism is strong and effective.
• No wheels -- most - if not all - airlines will not accept a container with wheels.
• Airlines or air transport organizations do not certify containers. Statements such as "airline accepted" or "IATA Approved" can be misleading.

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Together Tag's Top 10 Pet Safety Tips

 

You never know when a natural disaster or a more common everyday emergency might occur. Don't be caught off-guard without a plan for you and your pets. The tips below are essential to emergency preparedness.

 

1. Make sure that your pet wears a well-fitting collar with an ID tag that has up-to-date contact information.

2. Train your dog. A well-trained, obedient dog is safer, more responsive and happier.

3. Always keep your pet on a leash when outside the house or yard.

4. In order to make traveling with your pet more manageable, be sure that your pet is comfortable in a crate or carrier, even if you don't use one on a regular basis.

5. Know basic pet first aid such as how to stop bleeding and treat lacerations. Always approach a sick, injured or scared animal slowly and cautiously. Even your own pet can be aggressive when in pain or frightened. More pet first aid info at, RedCross.org

6. Purchase or assemble a basic pet first aid kit that includes gauze pads, gauze roll/ bandages, thermometer, tweezers, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, Q-tips, instant cold pack and rags or rubber tubing for a tourniquet.

7. Make sure that you have a pet emergency supply kit that includes an ample supply of food and water, blankets, a spare leash and collar, food bowls, garbage bags and any needed medication and a recent photo of your pet. See full pet emergency supply kit checklist

8. Remain as calm as possible during stressful or emergency situations - your pet is easily influenced by your behavior and will mirror your stress or panic.

9. Be aware of the dangers of common household items - from poisons and pesticides to chocolate and certain houseplants - and keep them away from your pet.

10. Be aware that extreme temperatures have drastic effects on pets. Heat exhaustion is often caused by leaving pets in parked cars or over-exercising pets during hot weather. To cool off an overheated pet, offer plenty of water, wet his or her body and paws with cool water, then fan.