Is there anything special you do to make your furry pet more comfortable during

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   buckleupdorothyposted 11 years ago

   Is there anything special you do to make your furry pet more comfortable during the summer months?

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2. 81

   Lucky Catsposted 11 years ago

   Hello buckleupdorothy!   I used to live in SE Kansas where the summers are extremely hot and, very often ; extremely humid.  Evening do not cool down as they do on the West Coast.  What I do for my animals in SE Kansas (as some are still there in a sanctuary) is use AC in all their rooms, always make sure there is plenty of water and cool surfaces on which to sleep.  When they go outdoors into their enclosed catteries, there is shade cloth over the top and sides where sun might directly shine, and  lattice work in other areas to filter out direct sun.  Water, again, is very important; fresh, cool.  If you are away during the day and you do not have AC...leave big ice cubes in large containers of fresh water....ths helps to keep it cool longer during the heat of the day.  Always be sure there is somme kind of air flow if your animals are indoor...this helps to circulate stagnate air which heats up.  Keep curtains closed (insulated curtains are the best)...  Out door animals MUST have a place outside the sun and sheltered from hot wind...and ALWAYS....lots of cool water available...this is a MUST.  Paw pads should not be exposed to hot surfaces such as cement or asphalt...this can burn the pad and cause bleeding/infection.  Comb animals' coats regularly to help remove the under coat which is remaining from the cold,, winter months...specially thick coated dogs...brush daily, if possible...good luck and thank you for  caring enought to ask this very important question!

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      buckleupdorothyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It got hot just last week and we are practically down to our skivvies but the poor cat - no matter how much I brush her - seems to have more coat than is necessary! I love the large ice cube idea - will go freeze a tupperware container for her.

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      Lucky Catsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I forgot to mention that, if you have outside dogs, and they don't mind it ... mist them down during hot days...some dogs just love this.  Also, keep a kiddie pool available, filled with cold water...some dogs love to jump right in...roll around..

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   landscapeartistposted 11 years ago

   We take our babies down to the pond every day and let them run around and play in the water.  We make sure that they always have a constant supply of water and food because we found that on those hot days, dogs don't necessarily keep to the same routine for eating.  They rather eat a little bit throughout the day.  Normally they just guzzle everything down all at once.  They both have shaded areas to lay back in and relax.  They love the cool grass.

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      buckleupdorothyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That sounds lovely - ponds and all. And interesting that your (dogs, I assume?) change their eating habits in the hot months just like most of us do...

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      landscapeartistposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry...yes, they are dogs.  They save their food, eating only a little bit throughout the day.  They know we barbeque all the time, so they will wait for whatever treats they think they are going to get before they eat their own food.

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   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   Well, this is going to make me seem like a nutcake, but we bought leather furniture so the dogs will have a nice place to lay and I can keep it clean much easier than fabric.  We also have air conditioning and even if we are comfortable, we will turn it on a little bit to keep them cool in the heat of day.  We keep a nice big tub of fresh water outside if they want to be out.  Quite often the lab gets into the water.   And there is plenty of shade for them.
   
   And (they don't agree with this part, they want to go) they don't get to go to the store with "dad" in the warmer months because we absolutely will not leave our dogs in a car in warmer weather, it is just cruel.

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      buckleupdorothyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Goodness yes - it's insane how hot the insides of cars can get. An actual cooking oven, portable for your convenience!

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   teyeger82posted 11 years ago

   I have two large furry dogs and live in South Carolina where it is quite hot and humid during the summer. They both have very thick undercoats and when they start shedding, the fur comes off in big chunks. However, there is so much that it seems to resprout almost immediately. To help them shed it we comb them, bathe them and sometimes literally just pull the fur right out of their coats to accelerate the process. We also reverse their schedule when it gets really hot and have them stay in during the day and out at night.

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