By June Brooks, DVM

We welcome summer with all of its glory. Sunshine and warmer temperatures lead to trips to the beach and hikes in the woods. How can you make summer a great season for your pet? Follow these simple steps to keep your pet safe and happy throughout the season.

Ticks thrive in hot, wet weather. The increased rainfall we have had this year, along with warming temperatures, make them especially active. Treating your pet with flea and tick preventative, either topical or oral, will protect your pet from tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and erlichiosis. If you protect your pet, any tick will die and disease transmission will not occur.

Protecting your pet from summer’s warm temperatures is important every day but especially on days with heat advisories or warnings. Exercise in the cool morning or evening, avoiding the heat of midday. Make sure your pet has plenty of cool, fresh water and take some along on any walk. Blazing summer sun can cause pavement on roads and sidewalks or beach sand to be too hot for your pet’s paws. If the surface is too hot for your bare feet, it is too hot for your pet.

Extreme caution should be used when transporting pets in hot summer weather. Do not leave pets in a car. Your vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness and even death, even if the day doesn’t seem hot to you. Cracking the windows makes no difference. A study done by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, found the temperatures in a dark sedan as well as a light gray minivan parked on a hot, but partly cloudy day, exceeded 125oF within 20 minutes. Your best option for your pet on hot days is to leave them at home. If you do see a pet in a car unattended, you can help by doing the following:

• Gather information about the vehicle including license, make and model; take a photo of the license plate with a smartphone.
• Notify others. Call 911 and/or contact a manager in a nearby store to page the car’s owner.
• Stay by the vehicle until help arrives.
• Wisconsin enacted a Good Samaritan law for pets in 2016. It is very specific:
  • Check to see if you can enter the vehicle without smashing anything.
  • You must look to see if a responsible adult is nearby or approaching their vehicle.
  • You must call 911 before breaking a window to rescue the pet.

Summer is a season to enjoy the sun and fun. Make it a great one for your pet by keeping them protected, cool and well hydrated. Happy summer.