Don't Let the Heat Kill Your Pet
Florida summers get very hot. Protect your pet's health. They may want to come along with you, but sometimes it's much kinder to leave your pets at home with plenty of fresh, cool water and shade.
- Never leave your pets in a parked car, even if the windows are open. Ten minutes could be too long on a hot day. By then, the temperature inside the car could reach 160. That's hot enough to cause a dog to suffer a heat stroke.
- Pets don't perspire as people do. They cool themselves by panting. With only very hot air to breathe, your pets could suffer permanent brain damage within moments. If emergency care is not given, your pets could die.
- Check your pets regularly for fleas, which are more common in hot weather. For flea control to be effective, your pets' entire environment must be treated, including the yard. Never use flea control products intended for dogs on cats, as cats may ingest the powerful chemicals while grooming.
- Never let your pets go without wearing a collar with the proper identification tags (rabies and/or license) and they must be kept under control in accordance with local leash laws. This is even more important when vacationing because pets can easily become lost in a strange environment. Even micropchipped pets need a collar with a pet identification tag so anyone can telephone you when they have found your pets.