Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe & Cool This Summer

Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe & Cool This…

August 14, 2023August 14, 2023
by ruthmacpete

Summer is almost here! As the temperature rises across the country, the risk of summer dangers also rises, especially for your pets.

Follow these simple tips in order to keep your pets safe and cool this summer:

1. Whenever possible keep your pets inside where it’s nice and cool. If they have to be outside, be sure they always have access to shade and water. Cooling products can also help keep your pets cool and comfortable this summer. K&H makes a number of cool (no pun intended) products that can help your pets beat the heat this summer. Their Coolin’ Bed is designed to wick heat away from your pet. The K&H Pet Cot is elevated so it allows your pooch to rest comfortably off the hot ground and the center of the cot is made of mesh to allow extra air flow to help keep your pet cool. (Click here for 20% off K&H Cooling Products)

2. Be sure your pets have plenty of water at all times. When it’s hot, water evaporates faster and pets drink more than usual. Make sure you provide extra bowls of water. Consider using a cooling bowl to keep your pet’s water from getting hot on a warm day. The K&H Coolin’ Bowl has cooling crystals inside the bowl that, after freezing overnight, will keep your dog’s water cool for hours. And don’t forget to bring water and portable dog bowls with you during long walks or outings.

3. Avoid excessive exercise when it’s hot. Keep your walks short to avoid over heating. Walk your dog in the early morning or evening when it is cooler.

4. Before going on a walk, check the ground to be sure it is not too hot for your pets’ feet. Asphalt, concrete, and sand can get very hot. If it’s too hot for your bare feet, it’s too hot for your pets! If you have to take your pet outside when the ground is hot, make sure to put booties on them to protect their pads from getting burned.

5. Never leave your pet unattended in a car when it’s hot outside. Even with the windows rolled down, your car can reach dangerous temperatures within minutes.

6. Keep pets away from hot barbeque grills and be aware of BBQ and picnic foods that can be dangerous your pet. Such as: alcohol, chocolate, grapes, onions, corn cobs, and chicken bones. Toothpicks and skewers can also be dangerous. Never leave pets unsupervised around food. Have pet friendly treats available to avoid temptation and reward your pets for good behavior.

7. Lastly be sure you are familiar and on the look out for the common signs of heat exhaustion (also known as heat stroke) in dogs:
Excessive panting
Drooling
Bright red tongue and gums
Vomiting
Bloody diarrhea
Unsteadiness
Collapse
Seizures

Heatstroke can quickly damage vital internal organs. If you suspect that your pet is suffering from heatstroke, try to cool them down by wetting them with cool water and immediately take them to your veterinarian or closest veterinary emergency clinic for treatment. Without prompt treatment, heatstroke can be fatal.

Remember, pets are more vulnerable to heat exhaustion than us. Hopefully these safety tips will help keep your pets safe and cool.

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Winter Weather Pet Safety Tips

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022
by ruthmacpete

I recommend investing in warm weather apparel for those times when your pet has to go outside for a walk or playtime.

2. Protect their paws

As every pet parent knows, your pet’s paws pick up all kinds of stuff. Unfortunately, that can include dangerous chemicals. During winter, it’s common to find salt, de-icing chemicals, and antifreeze on the ground. Booties not only protect your pet’s feet from the cold, they also prevent them from coming into contact with salt and other winter chemicals that can be irritating to their paws and harmful or even deadly if licked and ingested. If your pets are not wearing booties when they go outside, be sure to wipe your pet’s paws (with soap and water or pet wipes) immediately after they come inside to prevent them from licking and ingesting any dangerous chemicals and keep them from tracking these around the house.

3. Keep chemicals safely out of reach

Keep antifreeze, which contains ethylene glycol, out of reach of pets (and children). Ethylene glycol has a sweet aroma and taste that can attract animals. Unfortunately, it can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal if ingested. Ideally use only pet-friendly antifreeze. Pet-friendly anti-freeze is made from propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. This less toxic alternative is available online and at many automotive stores. Likewise, keep all de-icing chemicals safely out of reach of curious pets.

4. Check under the hood

Most people have heard of rodents getting caught in car engines, but did you know that cats occasionally get stuck under hoods too? This happens because outdoor cats hide under cars in order to stay warm on cold nights. Sometimes they will climb under the hood to seek shelter. Unfortunately, this is not a safe place for cats. When unsuspecting car owners turn on their ignition, the moving belts can injure, maim, or kill the cat. To help prevent cats and other animals in your neighborhood from getting under your hood, consider the following tips. Whenever possible, park your car in your garage. Honk your horn or tap on the hood before starting your car to scare away any hitchhikers. Likewise, slam your car door and make noise to give the animal a chance to get away. The goal is to make noise so any sleeping animals have a chance to scurry off.

5. Be prepared for emergencies with proper ID and disaster kits

A big winter storms can sometimes lead to a power outage. While we can’t predict emergencies, we can be prepared. The first thing you need to do is to make sure all of your pets have proper identification. Make sure your pet has a collar and ID tag with your phone number. Having a collar and ID tag improves the odds that your lost pet will be reunited with you. Unfortunately, collars and tags are not fool proof. Your pet should also have a microchip so that even if they lose their collar, the microchip will identify your pet. Finally, be sure to have a disaster kit for yourself and your pets. The disaster kit should be easily accessible and should include a supply of food, water, treats, toys and a first aid kit. For more information on making a disaster kit, read my blog on how to prepare for emergencies.

Follow these tips to help keep your pet safe and warm during this winter.

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How to Keep Your House Clean When You Have…

June 8, 2022July 2, 2022
by ruthmacpete

Spring may be over, but that doesn’t mean you’re done cleaning, especially if you have pets. Pets are cute but they can be messy. Whether it’s endless shedding, litter tracked everywhere, or a trail of muddy pawprints, they seem to leave a mess wherever they go. Thankfully, having a pet doesn’t have to be a never-ending chore. Here are some ways to minimize the mess and keep your house neat and clean.

Pet Hair
With the exception of a few breeds, like poodles, Sphynx cats, and hairless dogs, all dogs and cats shed, some more so than others. Although you can’t stop your pet from shedding, you can get the upper hand with a game-changing tool like the new Dyson Ball™ Animal 3 vacuum. The Dyson Ball™ Animal 3 was specifically designed with pet parents in mind. It’s engineered to drive deep into carpet fibers to capture dust, animal hair and ground-in dirt, and features advanced detangling brush bar technology to remove hair from the brush bar to maintain vacuum efficiency. It even includes a Pet Groom Tool, designed to remove your pet’s loose hairs and pet dander. If you prefer a cordless machine, the new Dyson Outsize +™ has the capacity of an upright vacuum, plus the freedom of cordless versatility with a laser cleaner head that reveals all those pesky hairballs floating across your floor.

Litter
Litter can be messy and smelly! To make kitty clean-up easier, pick a low mess litter, like ökocat Less Mess Clumping Low-Tracking, Mini Pellets Wood Cat Litter. ökocat is all-natural, made from reclaimed wood, and contains no added synthetic chemicals, dyes or fragrances so it’s a cleaner, healthier litter for your cat and you! The low tracking formula helps keep litter in the box where it belongs. For added mess protection, use a litter mat to trap those few loose litter pellets.

Dirty Paws
If you are tired of cleaning muddy pawprints, there are a couple of things you can do to keep you floors and furniture clean. You can use doggy booties whenever your dog goes outside, especially when it is wet or muddy. After all, you would never walk all over town in your bare feet and then hop into bed? Booties keep your dog’s paws clean and can be removed at the door. Another option is to keep pet-safe wipes by the door. A quick wipe after outings will keep their paws and your home clean.

Accidents
Anyone who has pets can attest that they are often messy roommates. Whether it’s litter box accidents, hairballs, vomiting or potty issues, it is inevitable you will need to clean up after your pet sometime. Besides cleaning up the accident, it is important to use the right product. Choose a cleaning product that is safe to use around your pet and that is formulated to neutralize pet odors.

The fact is accidents are inevitable when you have pets. With Ruggable rugs, you don’t have to stress if your pet has an accident on your beautiful new rug. Ruggable rugs are the first washable rugs. They are stain and water resistant and entirely machine washable, so you can just stick your rug in the wash and voila, it’s like the accident never happened. Ruggables are available in different styles and sizes to fit your decorative tastes.

Couch Potatoes
My dogs are canine couch potatoes. The couch is “paws down” their favorite place in the house to nap. It doesn’t matter that we have a gazillion comfy and cozy dog beds strewn throughout the house, they prefer the couch. Living in a pet-friendly household, we don’t mind sharing the couch, but we do mind having our couches smell like dog. Fortunately, there is an easy solution that makes everyone happy. Paw.com makes PupProtector throw blankets to keep your pets cozy and your couch clean. PupProtector throw blankets are waterproof to protect your couch from drooling or other pet accidents, and are 100% machine washable. And they come in a variety of fashionable styles to match your décor.

Cleaning Safety
Just a word of caution regarding cleaning and pets, you need to be careful with cleaning products around your pets. Always keep them stored safely away from pets and children and remember if you clean the floor or counter, make sure it’s dry before you let your pets walk on it. Remember pets often lick their feet and can ingest any chemicals that get on their paws.

Let’s face it accidents and messes happen, especially when you have pets! But the fact is pets are family and they make our lives so much better. With the right products, cleaning up after your dog or cat doesn’t have to be a hassle, giving you more quality time to spend with your furry friend.

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