Summer Pet Hazards
Summer introduces some seasonal dangers for pets. Dogs and cats are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, dehydration, parasites, environmental toxins, and outdoor injuries during the warmer months. By understanding the most common summer hazards and taking preventive steps, pet owners can help keep their companions safe, healthy, and comfortable.
Heatstroke and Overheating
One of the most serious summer dangers for pets is heatstroke. Dogs and cats cannot regulate body temperature as efficiently as humans because they primarily cool themselves through panting and limited sweating through their paw pads.
Certain pets are at even greater risk, including brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs, pugs, pitbulls, mastiffs, French bulldogs, and Persian and British shorthair cats. Overweight pets and pets with respiratory diseases such as laryngeal paralysis (also referred to as GOLPP).
Signs that your pet may be overheating include excessive panting, excessive drooling, lethargy, vomiting, bright red OR dark red gums, difficulty breathing, and collapse.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency, so if you suspect your pet is overheating move them to a cool, shaded area immediately and call your veterinarian or a local emergency veterinary office and let them know you are on your way. You can offer your pet cool (but NOT ice cold) water and apply cool, damp towels to the body, especially the paws and belly. Do not use ice cubes or fans because your pet can cool too rapidly, causing complications.
Be aware that temperatures inside vehicles can rise rapidly and become fatal even when it feels comfortable outside. Never leave a pet unattended in a parked car in the warmer months, even for a few minutes.
Heat-Related Illness in Dogs Animal Health Topic
Dehydration
Hot weather increases the risk of dehydration, particularly for active pets. Make sure that your pet always has access to fresh, clean water both indoors and outside and that they have a shaded, cool place to rest. To help prevent dehydration bring a container of water and a bowl for your pet when you go on walks and outings and encourage your pet to have a drink regularly. You may need to “remind” your dog if they are having a blast running on the beach or swimming because sometimes they are having such a good time they overexert themselves and don’t take the breaks necessary to rest and hydrate. Make them take a break, have some water, then have another play period.
Signs of dehydration include dry gums, sunken eyes, fatigue, and collapse.
Burned Paw Pads
Sidewalks, asphalt, sand, and artificial turf can become dangerously hot during summer. A pavement surface that feels warm to your hand may burn your pet’s paw pads. If you cannot comfortably hold the back of your hand on the pavement for 7 seconds, it is too hot for your pet to walk on. You can protect your pet from hot paths by walking early in the morning or after sunset, walking on grassy or shaded paths and using protective pet booties if walking on hot surfaces is unavoidable.
Foxtails
Foxtails are one of the most dangerous and often overlooked summer hazards for pets. Foxtails are sharp, barbed seed heads from certain grasses that can easily attach to a pet’s fur and burrow into the skin, ears, eyes, or paws. They can also be inhaled and lodged in the nose. Cats are usually good at grooming off foxtails, but they do get them stuck in their eyes and occasionally on their skin. Dogs are more commonly affected. Once foxtails pierce the skin or become trapped in the eye or ear or nose they can cause abscesses, ear infections, eye injuries, nasal infections, and lung infections. Because they are barbed they will not “reverse course” and will continue to migrate deeper into the tissues and can cause life threatening infections in the spine, chest, abdomen, or internal organs.
Signs that raise concern for foxtail injury include sudden persistent sneezing fits, sometimes with a little blood, sudden pain in an ear or head shaking, limping or repeated licking of a body part,, squinting an eye shut, and swellings or draining sores anywhere on the body. Because foxtails migrate deeper into tissue and do not break down naturally, veterinary treatment is usually necessary. The sooner you seek treatment, the better the chance that your veterinarian will be able to find and remove the foxtail before it migrates too deep to easily remove and before it causes serious damage, so if you suspect your pet has a foxtail embedded anywhere on their body, take them to the vet right away.
To reduce the risk of foxtail injury, do your best to avoid tall, dry grassy areas and keep lawns and weeds trimmed (however foxtails can spread easily, so you may find them even in a well-groomed back yard). Check your pet thoroughly for foxtails in their fur after walks or hikes, paying extra attention to paws, ears, armpits, and between the toes. It may help to trim the hair of long-haired dogs’ feet to make it easier to notice foxtails.
Fleas, Ticks, and Mosquitoes
While many climates (including our Northern California region) have these parasites year round, summer is peak season for parasites. Fleas and ticks can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, anemia, and transmit serious diseases. Mosquitoes can spread heartworm disease, which can be life-threatening.
Preventive measures include using year-round flea and tick prevention, regular grooming and coat checks after being outdoors, and avoiding heavily wooded or tick-prone areas.
Because there are many kinds of parasite prevention on the market, each with their own benefits, speak with your veterinarian about the best parasite prevention products for your dog or cat. It can be tempting to choose over the counter (vs prescribed) or “natural” products, most of these have been shown to be less effective than prescription products or not effective at all. If the cost of parasite prevention or applying the product presents a challenge, let your veterinarian know so they can work with you to see if there is a product or plan that works better for your situation.
Toxic Plants and Chemicals
Like parasites, many of the following hazards are around all year, but in summer we often spend more time gardening and some of the products we use can expose pets to dangerous substances. Common hazards include fertilizers, snail and slug poison, rodent poison, weed killers, and cocoa mulch. Certain flowers and plants such as lilies, sago palms, grapes, and oleander are toxic to pets. Store chemicals securely and supervise pets in treated areas until weed control and insecticide products are fully dry and safe. Rodent poison and slug/snail poison (apart from Sluggo which is safe) should never be used in areas your pets can access and if you have dogs the use of cocoa mulch is not a good idea; they can eat is and develop the same problems that eating chocolate causes for them. Cats are especially sensitive to lilies. All parts of the plant, including the pollen, are extremely toxic and can cause kidney failure even in small amounts.
When Plants and Animals Don't Mix
Water Safety
Many pets enjoy swimming, but pools, lakes, and oceans come with risks for pets. Potential dangers include drowning (especially if they are tired or there are strong currents), blue-green algae exposure, salt poisoning (excess salt ingestion as they drink saltwater), and pool chemical ingestion.
To prevent harm, always use pet life jackets for boating or swimming activities, even if your pet is comfortable swimming. After swimming rinse pets and always provide fresh drinking water. Follow any directions on signs posted near bodies of water – you may see signs advising that blue green algae (a serious and potentially fatal toxin) has been found or that swimming is not advised. These recommendations apply to pets as well as to humans.
Leptospirosis in Dogs Animal Health Topic
Salmon Poisoning Disease in Dogs Animal Health Topic
Barbecue and Picnic Dangers
Summer gatherings often include foods that are unsafe for pets. Common toxic or dangerous foods include grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, chocolate, drugs and alcohol, corn cobs, bones (cooked or raw), and fatty scraps. Keep food, trash, and skewers out of your pets’ reach and remind guests not to feed pets table scraps. Keeping a small jar of pet food or pet treats or offering safe foods like carrots and apple slices around can help you include your pet in the festivities without exposing them to foods that can harm them.
From Snacks to Scraps: Pets and "People Food"
Fireworks and Noise Anxiety
Summer holidays often bring fireworks, which can cause extreme stress and panic in pets. Frightened animals may attempt to escape yards or homes and become lost and at risk of being hit by a car or injured trying to get out.
To reduce anxiety, keep pets indoors during fireworks, keep your home as insulated from the sounds as possible (close windows and curtains), provide calming music or white noise, and ensure that your pets’ ID tags and microchip information are current. Some pets may benefit from anxiety wraps or veterinarian-approved calming medications. Reach out to your veterinarian who will be happy to discuss options to help calm your pet, and if possible contact them as far in advance as possible. It can be very helpful to give a new anti-anxiety medication a “trial run” before a scary event because each individual can have a unique response to medication. Your vet may also be receiving many of these calls around holidays so the more notice you give them, the easier it will be to find a solution in time to help your pet.
All of this may seem overwhelming, but our intent is NOT to take the fun out of summer! By taking a few precautions, you can enjoy the season safely. Plan to exercise your pet during cooler parts of the day, provide shade and water outdoors, never take pets to exercise in extreme heat, groom them regularly, use veterinary recommended parasite prevention, and schedule regular veterinary checkups. Each pet has individual needs, so ask your vet if there are any special considerations you should be aware of for your unique, precious pet.