There are many potential dangers for pets during the summer months. Photo / 123rf
The summer season poses unique risks for many pets. Here, the SPCA and a Whanganui veterinarian share how people can work to keep their furry friends safe.
The main risks over summer are heat, sun exposure, safety around outdoor activities, insect-borne diseases or parasites, and vegetation more prevalent during summer which can be toxic to some pets.
If it’s too hot for humans, it’s probably too hot for pets.
Pet owners should be mindful of heatstroke and surface burns during the summer while the sun is stronger and temperatures are higher.
Whanganui Vet Services veterinarian Hein Stoop knows first-hand what can happen when pets suffer in the summer heat.
“Every year, we’ll see some working dogs with heat-stress issues,” he said.
Whether a dog, or other pet is used to being outside for most of the year, they can still struggle in the heat.
Strenuous exercise such as on a farm, or even playing in a park, can easily push a dog to the point of developing heatstroke.
Regardless of how used to the kind of play the animals are, “chasing I don’t know how many balls ... suddenly over summer, that’s no longer possible because it’s just too hot”, Stoop said.
Instead, the SPCA recommends exercising pets during the early and late hours of the day to avoid the warmest period. If temperatures are particularly high, avoid long walks or other strenuous activities altogether.
Stoop said pets should always have access to drinking water and this is even more important when heatstroke risks are higher.
Some breeds of dogs carry higher risks of heatstroke such as brachycephalic dogs – dogs with flat faces like pugs and bulldogs. An overweight dog is at higher risk of heatstroke.
The temperature of sidewalks and other surfaces like sand can burn and even cause blisters on the paws of dogs, cats and other animals. Black sand, like at Whanganui beaches, can become particularly hot.
The SPCA recommend using a “five-second rule” – if you can’t comfortably keep your hand on the surface for more than five seconds, it’s too hot for your pets.
Smaller animals are particularly prone to heat stroke and may need to be moved to cooler parts of the home. The SPCA said putting a cool object for them to lean against inside their enclosure can help – such as ice cubes wrapped in a tea towel, a small frozen icepack or a wet tea towel.
Never leave your pet in a car, even if just for a ‘few minutes’.
“It still happens that animals get left in cars,” Stoop said.
Leaving a dog in a car is finable by $300 in New Zealand and those responsible may face prosecution if the welfare impact on the pet is significant.
The SPCA said a closed car can reach 50C in 15 minutes.
“Most often people think they know it’s dangerous, but it’ll only be five minutes, or I’ll leave a window open,” Stoop said.
“You get distracted, that’s where it generally goes wrong.”
Even when windows are left down and the car is parked under shade, cars can reach unsafe temperatures quickly in the summer.
The SPCA said it can take just minutes for a dog to die from heatstroke and suffocation in a car.
What about the sun?
Like humans, pets are susceptible to getting sunburn and developing skin cancer.
The darker a pet’s fur is, the more heat they will trap. The lighter their fur, the more susceptible they may be to sunburns and cancer.
“Cats are quite prone in New Zealand to develop certain types of skin cancer on the non-pigmented parts of their body,” Stoop said.
“Especially the margins of their ears and their nose.”
He said he recommended owners of white or light-coloured cats to keep them inside during the sunniest hours of the day.
Pet-friendly sunscreen may be applied to the more vulnerable parts of their skin like the tips of the ears, the end of the nose, and stomach but, “that’s not for everyone”, Stoop said.
Make sure the sunscreen is pet-friendly before using as common ingredients like zinc oxide can be toxic to pets.
Other animals, including livestock, are vulnerable to sunburns. To avoid this, especially for outdoor animals, make sure they always have access to shade.
The SPCA said they recommend open-air shelter such as tree cover, tarp canopies or other man-made structures with open walls to allow sufficient air flow.
Dog houses are not recommended as they can trap heat and make pets warmer.
For small animals which live outside, the SPCA said to make sure their hutch is in a shaded area through the day. To improve ventilation, owners can lift the hutch off the ground using bricks or other material.
In the summer heat it is important to clean hutches more regularly to avoid flies and related diseases like myiasis and fly strike.
What about summer activities?
Whether you’re heading out to fish, going for a swim or having a barbecue, always be mindful of your pets.
Fishing gear can be dangerous to pets, whether it’s your own or leftover gear a dog, or other pet may happen upon at the beach or other fishing spots. They tend to be attracted by the smells of fish.
“There’s fish hooks around in summer … It’s quite easy to end up in their lips or worse if they swallow them,” Stoop said.
Food and cooking tools used during barbecues can be fatal for some pets, especially dogs who are more likely to ingest them. Skewers and even the core of corn on the cob can be fatal to dogs when swallowed – blocking their intestines or causing internal damage.
“Those bits of corn on the cob ... we’ll remove at least two of those every summer.”
Stoop said regardless of whether there is still food on the skewers, plastic wrap or other potentially dangerous cooking gear, dogs will often still want to eat it.
“Dogs don’t really care whether they are half eaten or empty … as long as it smells like food, they’ll often go for it.”
At many popular swimming spots there are risks for pets.
Cyanobacteria is a type of algae which, if ingested, can be very toxic and often fatal for dogs. It may appear as green scum in or above fresh water, or as black mats on rocks in rivers.
As a general rule, Stoop said, “don’t think that it’ll be fine for your dog to swim in if it’s been banned for people”.
Plants and pests in summer
Certain plants which are dangerous to pets, and parasites are more active in the summer months.
Hookworms, heartworms, fleas and ticks are all more prevalent in the summer.
Worms can infect pets through faeces, areas, objects, or food that are contaminated or even through the pads of their feet.
Ticks can latch on to pets from vegetation they pass like long grass and in the woods.
“If you’ve been in long grassy areas, run your hands over your dog … If you notice any tiny lumps … inspect them closely because they could be ticks,” Stoop said.
Make sure to remove ticks without squeezing the body as that can cause them to regurgitate blood into your pet which passes on diseases.
Ticks tend to regurgitate blood when they are finished feeding which is why it is important to remove them as soon as possible and while they’re small said Stoop.
Fleas can infect both pets and humans and can be picked up from many different sources. Fleas can cause anaemia in cats and dogs, especially while young, along with flea allergy dermatitis – an uncomfortable skin disease.
Rabbits, especially when living outside are susceptible to mites, fleas and worms. The SPCA said they recommend checking rabbits regularly for hair loss, crusting, redness or scaling of the skin – all signs of infestation.
For plants, avoid long-seeding grass and plants like karaka berries which are toxic to dogs.
Long-seeding grass is dangerous for pets as the seeds can become lodged in their paws, ears, face, fur and even into their lungs. This is common in dogs over summer.
To prevent this, check dogs over after walks and remove any seeds with tweezers immediately. If owners notice licking, chewing, sudden onset of lameness, or if they suspect a seed is in their eyes or ears, the SPCA said to contact a vet immediately.
Karaka berries are fatal to dogs if ingested, even in small amounts.
“They only have to eat a tiny bit of them to be really toxic,” Stoop said.
Symptoms of karaka berry poisoning may take up to a day or two to appear in pets and include weakness, vomiting, confusion and convulsions. If it is suspected a dog may have ingested some, take them to the vet immediately regardless.
To protect pets, always be vigilant of particularly dogs on walks or near vegetation and avoid any areas known to have karaka berries.
What are the symptoms a pet has heat exhaustion?
To spot signs of heatstroke in pets, look for excessive panting, restlessness, excessive drooling, unsteadiness, abnormal gum and tongue colour or collapsing.
Especially in dogs, their gums will appear dark red and may experience vomiting and diarrhoea.
Cats may pant, be unwilling to move, have a bright red tongue and gums, increase their grooming or licking their fur, fast and shallow breathing and may appear confused.
Rabbits may stretch out their body, with sprawled feet and a limp tail, have wetness around the nose, fast, shallow breathing, ears hot to touch, half-closed eyes with tongue protruding and refuse to eat or drink.
The SPCA said it is important to first cool any animal as much as possible before taking them to seek further care.
For more information on how to keep pets safe over summer, information is available on the SPCA website or ask a local veterinarian.