We can all agree that summer has come to the UK at last. There was the glorious heatwave of mid-June, which we all rushed to make the most of, well aware of the fact it probably wouldn’t last. Which, if previous summers are to go by, it won’t. Ah well, such is life on these isles.
Nevertheless, it is worth thinking about the way that summer can have an impact on your pets. From the biggest horses to the smallest of rodents, there’s not a single type of pet you can have that won’t feel the impact of the change of season.
As sensible pet owners, you almost certainly don’t need to be told about the dangers of heat, so let’s skip ahead and focus on how to mitigate those dangers for our four-legged friends.
Water, Water Everywhere
Water is an absolute essential during the summer months. Obviously it’s also an essential during the other seasons too, but in summer, it’s particularly important.
For large animals, this is particularly true – horses and dogs are often physically active during the day, meaning they need more water than normal. Cats are more nocturnal; the vast majority will slump onto the floor during the day and snooze until the cooler hours tick around. That’s useful in some senses, but they still need to be kept hydrated.
The simplest way of doing this is to add extra water to their food. It doesn’t need to be a lot; just a teaspoon per feed is sufficient, though lower the amount for smaller pets. It’s just a little something extra that can help see them through the day.
Keep Them Indoors…
… especially during the heat of the day, when the sun is at its peak. This is easy enough with house pets, especially as they probably won’t show much appetite for going and cavorting outside anyway! Just remember that if you have a dog walker booked, you should alter their hours in summer to accommodate this.
Horses can be a bigger problem, especially if you can only make it to your yard once a day. You have two options: you could stable them during the hottest days (which might not go down too well), or head to the likes of MH Equine Supplies to find gear that can help reduce their sun exposure. Just like cats and dogs, horses can get skin cancer too, so they need all the help they can get in this regard.
For smaller caged pets – well, you don’t have to worry about this, except for ensuring that their cage is out of direct sunlight.
Use Sunblock
So keeping your pet out of the sun during the hottest hours is one thing, but summer days are long. There’s no way of keeping them out of the sun permanently, and it’s just as possible to get burned at 6am and 6pm as it is at midday.
Your best solution is to use sunblock the same way you would if you were heading to the beach. It might not be well-respected (cats in particular have a tendency to rub it off), but it’s better than nothing. Always check with your vet to ensure you buy the right kind of sunscreen; anything targeted at children is usually fine, but double-check to be sure.