With summer season quickly approaching, here are some Harley Hounds hot tips for keeping your animals happy and healthy this summer season.
#1: keep them hydrated
you can do this by: keeping water bowls in various places throughout your home, carry water and a bowl everywhere you go: we offer multiple variants of travel bowls here at Harley hounds
#2: keep them cool
PDSA advises: “Dogs can’t cool down as easily as we can. They mainly use panting to keep cool, and can’t sweat through all of their skin, only their paw pads. Coupled with their fur, which is like wearing an insulated coat, this can make them prone to overheating. Some dogs will struggle more than others on hot days. These dogs might need a bit of extra TLC in the summer months and extra care to stay hydrated.”
you can get cooling mats, paddling pools, cool collars, water toys and chill bowls all available at Harley hounds to help your furry friends cool down in the sun while having fun
Exercising your dog in hot weather
Dogs still need regular walks even in high summer, but there are things you can do to help keep your dog happy in the heat. PDSA suggests:
- Walk early or late – Avoid walking your dog in the hottest part of the day – early mornings and evenings will be much more comfortable for you both
- Set an easy pace – Encourage them to slow down by setting a slower pace and giving them plenty of time to sniff and explore
- Hot pavements and roads – Hot surfaces can really hurt your dog’s foot pads, particularly tarmac or sand. If these surfaces feel too hot for you, the chances are your dog’s thinking the same
- Keep to shady areas – Plan your walks and try to include places where there is shade
- Short and sweet – Take two or three short walks throughout the day, instead of one long one
Battersea advises Introducing new games that don’t involve too much running around. For example:
- Hide toys or treats and let your dog sniff them out: we have snuffle mats, liki matts, yogi pots, west paw toys all perfect for stimulating your furry friends while they enjoy a cold treat like frozen yoghurt with berries, frozzys cups and so much more
- Use toys or treats to encourage your dog into a shaded paddling pool which we stock at Harley hounds along with some fun water sprinkler toys
tips to help your kitty cat keep their cool include:
- Try to keep your cat indoors during the hottest times of the day – usually between 11am and 3pm
- Apply a pet sunscreen (not a human one) to the nose and ear tips of pale-coloured cats when they do go outside
- Keep a room in your house cool and well-ventilated by drawing curtains and opening windows if there’s a breeze, so your cat has a cool, comfy place to rest. Remember that cats love to nap and will happily snooze for up to 16 hours a day!
- Let your cat choose a cool place to lie down. They’ll naturally gravitate towards a slate floor, the kitchen sink or by a fan in summer, just as they’ll curl up in a warm place in winter
- Don’t worry if your cat seems to be grooming more than usual. This is a cooling mechanism similar to sweating – as the saliva evaporates off their fur, your cat will cool down. You can help them out by grooming them regularly
- Take special care of flat-faced breeds such as Persians as they will struggle with their breathing a lot more in the heat
