It’s going to be an extremely hot week for us in the Northwest. Please keep your pets safe and cool!

Do not leave pets in the car on warm days, even for a few minutes!

Make sure your pets have lots of cool, clean water to drink and access to shade or a cool room in the house.

Keep screens on your windows so kitties don’t fall (or jump) out when trying to catch a cool breeze.

Be careful of hot surfaces. Asphalt can be very hot and uncomfortable for dog feet. If you wouldn’t walk on it barefoot, chances are your dog doesn’t want to either!

This is a great week to take your dog out for some fun in the water, but use common sense. Don’t leave you dog unsupervised. Don’t assume that all dogs can swim well, or that they all like to swim. Be careful on hot sand and also watch dog paws on our local beaches that can be covered with sharp oyster shells, rocks, and barnacles. Make sure your dog doesn’t drink lots of salt water at the beach or chlorinated water from pools.

Take your walks in the early morning or late evening, when it’s cooler. Be especially careful with older pets. If you are a runner, you might want to leave your older dog at home this week.

If your cat isn’t much of a drinker, you might want to add a little extra water to any wet food you feed them.

If you have fans on in the house, make sure they are stable so pets can’t knock them over.

It’s a great week for water fun, but be safe!

Tags: cats, dog safety, dogs, healthy pets, heat, pet safety, summer weather