8 Warm Weather Safety Tips to Keep Your Dog Pain Free

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8 Warm Weather Safety Tips to Keep Your Dog Pain Free

It’s so nice to see the sun out longer throughout the day, spreading warm beams over the land. It has the power to turn a normal afternoon into a nice, lazy midday nap on a blanket spread out on the grass. With my dog curled up by my side, of course. Having the time and the weather to snooze in the warm sunshine is a luxury, and one that I enjoy greatly… Until my dog starts barking at the bee that’s buzzing his head every now and again.

There’s nothing like spring. Everything becomes revived, and color starts to return to the trees and flowers. Well, and summer isn’t too shabby either. Warm weather makes me feel so… Well, warm! Our dogs get excited for the warm weather too. I think most dogs do. It’s perfect weather for exploring, sniffing, and stretching out in the sunshine. But warm weather also has its risks. This is why we wanted to go over some warm weather safety tips to keep your dog pain free.

Actionable Steps to Take

Check your window screens. Depending on where you live, your window screens can take a beating. Whether oceanside, snowbound, or in tepid climates, windows tend to get manhandled throughout the year, and so we suggest a good cleaning and re-securing of screens and locks. Particularly if you have a two-story house, or live in a high-rise building. Dogs like to seek out warm spots, and there’s nothing quite like sunbathing in a window. So, to help keep your dog safe and pain-free, make sure to take care of your window screens so no accidents, like falling out, happen this warm season.

Keep it inside when traveling by car. Warm weather is so inviting, and that can often lead to arms and legs dangling outside of car windows. Not a good idea. Neither is allowing your dog to have his head out the window, or roaming free in the back bed of a truck. Veterinarians will tell you this is one of the ways in which most dog’s eye injuries occur. Keep your dog safely inside your car, buckled up with a dog harness seatbelt. Also, if you’re a truck person, keep your dog in a dog crate made specifically for travel, and make sure it’s strapped to your truck to keep your dog safe.

RECOMMENDED SAFETY BELT:

Store lawn fertilizer and other chemicals. Warm weather brings out the green thumb in all of us. This means that we are planting, pruning and treating our plants, flowers, and trees. You’ll want to keep fertilizers and other lawn chemicals stored in a secure, overhead location. Particularly if you use organic fertilizers. Many dogs love the taste of organic lawn, garden, and flower products.

Vet check-up! We recommend using spring as your dog’s annual check-up time. It’s great for having your vet do a routine exam, and to confirm vaccination or titer test status. Also, have a discussion regarding pests and parasite prevention. While you are planning your garden design this year, consider plants that naturally repel mosquitoes, like Lavender. Marigolds, Citronella Grass, Rosemary, and Basil.

Be aware of temperatures. What seems like a warm breeze when you’re driving in the car with the window down can turn into a hot sauna when you stop moving and have your windows up. It’s really best to not take your dog with you in the car if you plan to leave him in it while you do errands. Particularly if your dog is older. If it’s 70 degrees outside, and you leave your dog in your car with the windows up, in 10 minutes your car will reach an inside temperature of nearly 90 degrees. In 30 minutes that scenario has your car reaching 105 degrees. That is deadly to your dog. So, shop dog-friendly businesses or leave your dog at home.

Practice pool safety. Just like babies, your dog really should not be left alone in an area that has a swimming pool. Some dogs just don’t understand pools, or how to get out of them. Other dogs can sink fairly fast in water, like Bulldogs, Pugs, and Daschunds (there are more). So, if you aren’t going to be outside by the pool, then your dog shouldn’t be either. Also, if your dog does safely get into your pool under your keen watch, make sure to wash off the chlorine from his/her fur.

Buzz cut or long hair? If your dog is a double-coated long-hair breed, like a Husky, Pyrenees or Shiba Inu, it’s best to allow them to retain their long hair. Use an undercomb to thin out their hair, as they will likely shed in the heat. If you truly want to cut your dog’s hair, you can trim these breeds, but they should not be shaved. Their fur serves as their protection from overheating and sunburn. Instead of shaving, make sure to monitor their time out in the sun and always have plenty of fresh water available for your pup.

Boots for asphalt. Doesn’t sound very intuitive, does it? It seems like your dog should wear boots in the winter. And, some dogs do. But when the weather gets warm, asphalt gets hot and can burn your dog’s paw pads. There are lightweight, highly flexible booties that dogs can wear to protect their feet on hot surfaces. Make sure you practice putting on the boots and having your dog walk in them before s/he actually has to… Otherwise be prepared to laugh, as most dogs need a little practice to be graceful in boots.

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There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to keep your dog safe in the warm weather. These are a few that are meant to get you thinking about warm weather safety tips to keep your dog pain free. Because nobody, including the family fuzzball, wants to get hurt in the spring or summer. We love our pups, so safety first. After all, according to my dog, there are picnics to barge into, balls to chase, and burgers to steal from unattended paper plates!  

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