Dr. Kate Fridolph of Oak Valley Animal Health is reminding pet owners that preventive care is especially important during the summer months
High temperatures can quickly become dangerous for animals. Fridolph recommended limiting time outdoors, especially during the hottest portions of the day. Animals should have access to shade, fresh water and, when possible, moving air from a fan or climate-controlled area.
Short-faced breeds, including bulldogs and pugs, may overheat particularly quickly. Owners should also closely monitor elderly pets, animals with underlying medical conditions and highly energetic dogs that may continue running or playing despite the heat.
Fridolph warned that pets should never be left unattended in a vehicle during hot weather. Vehicle interiors can become dangerously hot within minutes, creating a life-threatening situation.
Summer is also an active season for fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Reliable flea and tick prevention is important for animals that spend time outdoors, especially those that enter wooded areas or tall grass.
Mosquitoes transmit heartworms between animals. Fridolph said heartworm disease is much easier and less expensive to prevent than it is to treat. Severe infections can damage the heart and lungs, block blood flow and become fatal.
Vaccinations are another important part of preventive care. In addition to rabies, veterinarians may recommend protection against distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, kennel cough and Lyme disease based on the animal’s health and lifestyle.
Kennel cough vaccination is particularly important for dogs that will be boarded, groomed, taken to dog parks, enrolled in training or regularly exposed to unfamiliar animals.
Fridolph encouraged owners to schedule routine examinations and discuss the most appropriate vaccinations and preventive products with their veterinarian. Preventing illness, she said, is generally safer and far less expensive than treating a serious disease after it develops.
