Dog Daze of Summer

If you can't take your pet with you into a cool place, leave her at home, either inside with the air conditioner on, or outside with plenty of shade and cool, fresh water. It's a small thing to do for a friend!

Your dog's exercise should be restricted during the hottest parts of the day. If you want to go jogging, or toss a Frisbee at the beach, remember all athletes need conditioning. Work up to our pet's exercise program gradually and avoid strenuous activity between the hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Overweight dogs should be put on a supervised restricted, low fat diet. And if your pet hasn't had a nose to tail examination in a while, schedule that now. Strenuous exercise can be deadly to a pet with a serious underlying health problem such as heart disease, which in its early stages is often symptom-free.

Resist the temptation to shave your pet's coat during the summer. Your pet's fur acts as protection against the summer sun. Brush your pet regularly to remove any dense undercoat. Some dogs also appreciate a kiddy pool to cool off their tootsies-this is one important area for heat exchange and sweating in the dog.

Lastly, watch out for the hazards of electric fans. Your curious cat may get his tail caught in the blades, or your bird may accidentally fly into your ceiling fan.

With a little caution and planning, your pet's summer can turn into the calm, and languid "dog days" of summer, which is vastly preferable any day to "dog daze"!