Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 02:38 PM PDT

Technically it's still spring, but it's getting hotter and it's time to think about how that might affect our pet's health for the next few months. I found a handy sheet with 7 tips for a healthy summer that I thought I would share with readers. Miles gets an A plus for summer health precautions by the way.

We've covered the basics on Miles with up to date vaccinations and he's starting heartworm prevention. That's a new one for me, especially considering where we live, but my research for the series over on the pet insurance blog gave me new insight into the risk. He's sporting an ID tag, a current rabies tag and he's micro-chipped, too.

I don't have to worry too much about his swimming ability. He loves the water and would retrieve sticks thrown across the Gila River all day, if he could. Your dogs might not be from Northeast Canada like mine, so watch them around the water.

Speaking of water, make sure they have plenty during the summer. If you leave them outside during the day in your fenced yard, make sure they have access to water and plenty of shade. If it's really hot bring them inside with you and the AC.

We've started walking Miles in the early morning. Out the door at 6:30 or so for our hike up Boston Hill. It's still cool and a great way to start the day before I get to work. If you can call this work. If we sleep late we wait until near sundown for a walk or trip to the dog park. Miles would ignore the mid day heat and run wild. We have to make sure he keeps cool.

I'm going to investigate tip #5 about safe car and truck riding. Miles loves to sit in the passenger seat of my truck and look around like anyone else, except he doesn't have a seat belt. They make them for dogs and it would be safer.

Safer not only in a crash, but Miles tends to think he has free access to the whole front seat including the driver's seat. It's dangerous to drive with an eighty pound Lab in you lap.

As far as #6 goes Miles just went to his first pool party last weekend. We kept a close eye on him because there were so many little kids around. When he gets frisky he could run right over a little kid. He fell in the pool twice, too. Good to know where the steps are if you happen to be a dog. They can get dangerously tired swimming around looking for an escape. Oh, we kept him away from the booze, too.

Take a look at the full set up tips in this handy reference guide. Summer is fun for dogs and cats if we keep an eye on them.