Seasonal Care for Your Pet
Different temperatures bring different challenges for your pet's health. Along with being too hot or too cold, a pet may suffer from pests and ailments that come with the change of the seasons. Always ask your veterinarian about precautions you can take. Here are some general guidelines:
- Prevent heat stress by providing plenty of clean, fresh water at all
times. Change water daily.
- Provide adequate shade and shelter from the sun as well as good
air circulation.
- Avoid exercise as well as walking on hot pavement.
- Baby pools filled with cool water can be fun for most dogs.
- Fill a gallon milk container with water, freeze and place it in a
cage or cool spot in the yard so a cat or dog can lie next to it
(nature's air conditioning!).
- NEVER leave pets in parked vehicles. Even leaving windows cracked may
not allow enough air during sunny days.
- Bites and stings from insects may cause swelling or soreness. Call
your vet for advice because some allergic reactions need to be treated.
- Fleas and ticks are especially troublesome during warm months.
There are several preventatives available that do a fine job, as well as
some other methods to prevent or reduce effects from these pests. Ask your
vet for tips tailored to your animal's particular health picture and
lifestyle.
- Always provide fresh, clean water. If temperatures are below freezing,
check water for ice formation.
- Outdoor pets should have a warm, dry area free from wind. Indoor pets
may need extra bedding.
- Talk to your vet about changing food needs. Outside pets may need
extra calories to battle colder temperatures.
- Remove ice, salt, mud and snow from your pet's coat and feet as soon
as possible. If the skin looks reddish, white or gray in cold weather, or
if the skin seems scaly or peeling, suspect frostbite if the weather has
been really cold. Visit the vet immediately.
- Most dogs and cats shed their summer coats in the fall before putting
on their winter coats. Most years, this is light and not really
noticeable. Special attention should be paid to hair coats and daily or
weekly brushing should help your pet (and you) be more content.
- HAZARDS: Cats like to nap on warm places, including under hoods of
cars. Knock on the hood of your car before getting in or honk the horn
before starting the engine. If in doubt, open the hood and look.
- Also, antifreeze
smells good and tastes sweet. Small amounts can kill
your pet. Symptoms may not show up for days. Clean up any spills, tightly
close containers and store where neither pets nor children can get to
them.
- Holiday foods such as candy during Halloween, turkey bones, poisonous
plants like holly or mistletoe and ribbons and wrapping paper tantalize
pets during a busy time of year when you may let your guard down.
Keep all of these items out of reach of your pets.
Springtime brings mosquitoes and with them comes the risk of dogs and even cats becoming infected with heartworms. Even animals who live
indoors are susceptible.
Signs of heartworm infection include coughing, exercise intolerance and lethargy in a mildly infected dog. An advanced case may cause life-threatening signs such as heart failure, liver or kidney failure, stroke or death.
There are preventatives that, if taken as directed, prevent infection. However, dogs with heartworm infection could become deadly ill if taking the preventative, so dogs need to be tested before administering these drugs.
Even dogs who take heartworm preventative year-round should be tested yearly. Popular preventatives include Interceptor, given monthly; Sentinel, which incorporates a flea-sterilizing ingredient as well; and Filaribits, given daily.
In 1997, Heartgard for Cats became available to ward off the disease which is becoming increasingly prevalent in cats. However, for cats, symptoms are very different, so consult your doctor.
Read the CMVH info sheet on heartworm.
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Updated January 2008
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