Hello again dear readers. This week I bring to you a few ways to keep your dogs safe during the heat of the summer months. I have owned dogs my whole life which is my only qualification to be writing this, but I think it is a reasonable qualification. So here are my tips for keeping your fur babies safe with the hot weather. I also thought I would share some pictures of my dogs with you throughout.

1.) Never Leave Your Dog Out In The Sun.

In these hot months it is really extra important to keep an eye on your dogs when they are outside. While you should always watch over your dogs when they are out (even if you have a fenced in yard) it is extra important during the summer. Dogs can very easily get heat stroke when they are left outside too long. If you have to have your dog outside try to keep them off of hot pavement and make sure they have somewhere shady to lay down.

Bandit 15 years old.

2.) Don't Give Your Dog Too Many Ice cubes.

When its 80 degrees outside we of course want to keep out puppies cool just like ourselves but be careful to keep your pups out of the ice when it is really hot. If your dog eats to much ice when it is really hot out it can cause them to bloat and bloating is very bad for dogs in larger breeds it can even cause their stomachs to flip which will result in vet bills for a very expensive surgery to save your dogs life. If you are worried about keeping them cool trying picking up a kiddy pool from your local Walmart. Fill it up with water from your hose and let your pups have a fun time splashing around.

Snowman 6 years old

3.) Do Not Walk Your Dogs On Hot Pavement.

Dogs have really sensitive feet and their pads can get burned very easily so always keep them off of hot side walks and roads. A good way to make sure that the pavement is safe is to test it with your own feet. If it feels more than lukewarm to your bare foot it is too hot for your dogs. Try walking them closer to sunset to protect their little feet.

Loki 1 year old

4.) Flea, Tick And Mosquito Protection Is A Must.

Fleas, tick and mosquitoes can carry diseases that can be deadly to dogs like heart and lime disease. So it is really important to find protect from them but you may have to do some trail and error to find what works for your dogs (don't forget your other animals too cats and small animals need protection too). A lot of flea and tick treatments don't protect from mosquitoes so I recommend getting some cedar or citronella essential oil and putting a few drops on their collar if you are taking them out at night.

Smokey 2 years old

5.) Seek Vet If Your Dog Show The Following Symptoms

The following are symptoms of heat stroke for dogs!

~ Excessive Panting.

~ Excessive drooling.

For these first two it is important to know what is normal for your dog. For example my dog snowman drools a lot where as Loki doesn't drool much at all. The panting can also lead to bloat.

~ Reddened gums and moist tissues of the body

~ Vomiting

~ Seizures

~ Wobbly walk almost drunk in appearance

~Unconsciousness from which they won't wake.

If your dog has any of these symptoms take them to the nearest emergency vet immediately. They could be experiencing heat stroke.

These are a few tips and tricks from me to keep your dogs safe in the summer heat.