Well, last time I posted we were in the middle of frigid temps and what seemed like daily never-ending, bone-deep wind chill factors.
Shame on me for taking four months to get going with this! Now I have to talk to you not about Ice Melt and Doggie Coats, but about keeping your pets safe and cool in the hot weather.
It's crucial that pet parents understand how severely affected their furry kids can be by that elevated thermometer reading. There are many things you can do to help your animal companions deal with the heat.
For starters it's imperative that you leave adequate water supplies out for cats and dogs and the number one rule is never never never leave your dog in the car on a hot day. Most of us have heard these warnings, they go out standard every year, and sadly every year we still hear of incidences where pets die because owners were negligent or woefully un-informed.
One of the issues I encounter often over the summer as a Dog Walker/Pet Sitter is the lack of proper cooling and ventilation for the animals in many of the homes I go to. Leaving animals home alone all day in a closed-off house that is heating up as the temps climb can be not only uncomfortable for the pets, but downright dangerous.
Among some of the things you can do are:
*Keep your windows operational - screens in, sashes working properly
*Run fans or air conditioners during the day
*Keep shades/blinds/curtains closed to keep out the sun
*Never take for granted the benefit of mature shade trees near the house
I've written a longer piece about this in the blog on my web site. I invite you to get more detailed information and further suggestions by following the link below.
http://www.curranspets.com/hot-weather-pets-keeping-your-home-cool/
If you have any questions, conundrums or ideas/tips/suggestions about how to keep the homes cool, please feel free to share in the comments section here on Patch (please just keep it on-topic, positive and polite).
(Deirdre Curran is a professional Dog Walker/Pet Sitter covering pet care in Rye, Rye Brook, Port Chester, some areas of Harrison, NY and limited areas of Greenwich, CT)
You can visit her web site at:
www.curranspets.com
Like her FaceBook page!
https://www.facebook.com/CurransPets
