Follow these and your furbaby will love you even more.
In the UAE, the approach of SUMMER is whispered with a little dread… and every year vets see preventable issues such as heatstroke, dehydration and burns, all of which are debilitating, can cause injury and in some cases serious illness and death.
However, although the climate can be hostile during the peak summer months, there are several ways to reduce the impact and continue to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle with your pets.
Dr. Katrin, the founder of the German Veterinary Clinic, offers a few top tips to help you and your pet adapt to the summer months:
Avoidance
We all love walking our doggie pals and should carry on, but do so before (or close to) sunrise in the morning and after sunset in the evening.
Shorten those walks as it’s not just the sun to be wary of… the ambient temperature and humidity can cause breathing issues for snub-nosed breeds and over-heating for long-haired pets.
Hydration
Always have plenty of fresh water available for your pets! You can also help your pets hydrate with wet foods that contain higher fluid content. However, please speak to your Vet or Vet Nurse before making changes to your pet’s diet.
Consider getting a pet water fountain to encourage your pets to drink – cats prefer moving water over still water as they can more easily detect a moving stream with their whiskers.
Products
There are products available such as dog “booties” designed to protect your pooch’s paws from the scalding pavements and instantly cooling towels, bandanas and blankets that can provide quick relief from heat and sun.
Air conditioning
We love it and couldn’t live without it… the same applies for our pets. While cats generally have a better tolerance of higher temperatures than dogs (and us), having a cool, controlled climate indoors during the day is going to be good for everyone and will help our pets avoid unnecessary heat stress (and worse) when they are at home and we are out and about without them.
Cars
Do not leave your pet in a car (EVER) and never with the engine off… even if you think it will only be for a minute, dogs especially can overheat very quickly and a car is basically a little green house. This is one of the most tragic occurrences every summer, entirely avoidable and often fatal (as the damage done can often be irreversible).
With a few adjustments and considerations, we can all look forward to a safe and healthy summer. To find out more and devise a specific plan for your pet, please discuss with your preferred pet care provider.
Dr. Katrin is the founder of the German Veterinary Clinic. Her passion and commitment to delivering the highest standards of animal care as well as her extensive knowledge and experience has enabled the clinic to expand and flourish.
Dr Katrin is currently a resident in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine of both the European as well as American College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine and is the first (and only) veterinarian in the Middle East to specialize in this field. This means that GVC is the only clinic that can treat the mental, emotional and physical health of all our pet-patients.
