Sunscreen for Your Pet

Dogs and cats are susceptible to sunburn and heatstroke, too. Summertime brings picnics, fun in the sun, and swimming pools or open water. Good times that can be tarnished only by stinging or biting insects, heatstroke, sunburn, skin problems and water hazards, to name the most common summer related dangers that face dogs and cats.

Here are some tips that can help you recognize and prevent problems.

When the weather turns warm, fleas hatch and animals get itchy. This manifests itself as sores and scabs on dogs and cats. Many animals are allergic to fleas, and all it takes is one flea for them to bite and scratch themselves raw.

Bees, wasps, fire ants and mosquitoes are other painful pests of summer. Dogs or cats that take a curious or aggressive interest in bees or wasps are likely to receive payback in the form of a sting on the nose or head.

Fire ants often march onto the abdomen of a pet lying outdoors enjoying the sun, then sting in synchrony, which is a very painful experience. If your pet is being stung by fire ants, hose them off and get your pet to the veterinarian.

Reactions to insect bites and stings range from slight swelling and pain to anaphylaxis, a sudden, severe allergic reaction that can be fatal if not treated immediately. Mosquito bites don’t provoke a skin reaction, but they can transmit potentially fatal heartworm disease.

Prevention goes a long way. Fleas and ticks are easily controlled on pets with topical medications. Placing a product on the skin can kill fleas and ticks for as long as a month. The best way to prevent heartworm disease is by giving a heartworm preventive pill orally once a month.

While some flea control medications repel mosquitoes, it’s important to remember that they don’t prevent heartworm disease if a mosquito does bite your pet.

Heat and humidity affect pets as well, especially those that are brachycephalic, or flat-faced such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekingese and Persians, or those that have very heavy coats.

High temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion or the more dangerous heatstroke. Animals that are outside or enclosed in cars are most at risk of heatstroke. Signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke include panting excessively, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness. Cool a pet with heat exhaustion by pouring water on the coat and working it into the hair. Loss of consciousness is an emergency situation and requires immediate veterinary care. One of the most important precautions for preventing both conditions is to never leave your pet in a car during warm months. Within minutes a car can heat up to 120 degrees. If you must absolutely make that quick trip to the drugstore, park in the shade with the windows down, and make sure your pet has access to water.

Submitted by Animal Health Services of Cave Creek