Keep Your Pets Healthy and Safe This Summer Infographic
sky blue background with image of an origami brown dog on left and an orange origami cat on right
Keep Your Pets Healthy and Safe This Summer
By Dr. Barbara Royal, DVM, CVA, owner of the Royal Treatment Veterinary Center
dark blue silhouette illustration of the front image of a car
120 Degrees
The inside of your car can heat up to 120 degrees within 10 minutes (even with the windows cracked). Never leave your pet in the car even if just for a few minutes.
dark blue simple illustrationi of a flower
Say No to Chemicals
Avoid pesticides, herbicides and fungicides for lawn care, pest control and flea and tick medications. Natural is better!
dark blue simple illustration of a ball
Play Time!
Exercise and socialization are important to your pet's health. Encourage interaction but remember to keep them hydrated and have a resting place in the shade.
dark blue simple illustration of a dog bowl
Be Cool
Avoid any treats with carbs or grains that can increase heat and inflammation.
Try our recipe below to make "cool" treats for your pet.
dark blue illustration of a firework
Shhhhh!!!
Loud noises like fireworks can scare or confuse your pet. Be sure to leave them
at home to reduce their anxiety. If the outdoor noises still scare them, try NOW® Pets Relaxant 30-60 minutes before the big kick off.
illustration of the top half of a yellow sun with a black line drawing of a popsicle at the top middle
Beat the Heat With This Cooling Treat
One Cup Plain Organic Yogurt
One Cup Hot Organic Chicken Broth
One Pinch Black Pepper
One Jar of Meat Baby Food
Two Tablets NOW® Pets Relaxant, Crushed
One half Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
One Tablespoon Raw Honey
Optional
One Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
One Tablespoon Peppermint, Chamomile or Sage Tea
One Teaspoon Aloe Juice
Mix together, spoon into ice cube tray and freeze. Your pet will love them.
NOW Pets logo in maroon and green in lower right corner of yellow sun
Top 5 tips to help keep pets healthy this summer:
1. NEVER, EVER leave your pet in a car. Even if the day feels cool (even 65 degrees!), the summer sun can heat up the inside of a car (even with the windows open/cracked) to temperatures above 90 degrees in as little as 10 minutes. From there it's just a few minutes until it's over 120 degrees. Even if it's not fatal, exposure to high heat for even a few minutes can cause illness, collapse, severe gastroenteritis and other serious health issues.
2. Use ice cube trays to make and freeze your own treats. Avoid treats that increase inflammation and heat in the body, especially treats with grains or high in carbs. Summer is hot and cooling down can be yummy and healthful. Add cooling or calming herbal teas to treats, like peppermint tea, chamomile tea or sage tea. Depending on the situation, you can also add aloe juice or apple cider vinegar.
3. Avoid pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, as they can all be toxic to pets. These types of chemicals can be found in lawn treatments, insect sprays, and other pest control products, even in squeeze on and oral pesticides used for flea and tick control on pets. There are many natural pest control products that are better suited to the health of our pets and our planet.
4. Encourage pets to play and interact, but always keep them hydrated. Dog parks and beaches can be wonderful fun, but make sure your pet has access to fresh water (salt water from ocean beaches is not drinkable) and a place in the shade to cool down – especially black pets in the sun. Overweight animals, very young animals, and very old animals will have more trouble managing the heat. If you've been noticing your pet is making more noise when breathing, this could also mean they are less likely to handle hot temperatures. Keep them indoors and out of the heat when possible.
5. Help reduce your pet’s anxiety from loud noises. Try NOW® Pets Relaxant 30 to 60 minutes before any fireworks displays or exposure to loud noises to help reduce anxiety. Remember, don't bring pets to fireworks displays or parades in the heat as it can be very hot, frightening and confusing for them.
NOW® Pets ia a line of natural pet supplements designed for dogs and cats. Developed under the guidance of Dr. Barbara Royal, DVM, CVA – a renowned Midwestern veterinarian and pioneering expert in holistic animal care – and manufactured with NOW’s expertise in producing safe and efficacious quality products, the NOW® Pets line can be a trusted resource for supporting optimal animal health.
