Things you might notice in your pet this summer!

Animals often have different responses to the summer heat as they try to moderate their inbuilt cooling systems. Here are some normal and natural things that tend to happen around summertime and do not mean your pet is unwell or not feeling okay. Pets often display these behaviors in the summer, but definitely take your pet to the vet if you notice any extreme symptoms!

Here are some things you might notice:

• Your pet is going to the bathroom to sleep. The bathroom is the coolest room in the house, and the tiled floor offers relief from their fur. Pets will choose to remain in bathrooms and washing areas to cool off - you can leave the door open for them!
• Drinking from puddles on walks! With the increasing heat, pets need water even in between walks sometimes, and you will notice them drinking from muddy puddles to relieve their thirst. Keep taking breaks during walks and give them water at regular intervals.
• Refusing walks and being lazy. Like everyone else, the summer heat does make pets lazy and want to sleep during the hotter hours of the day. Change your walk timings to cooler hours so pets can still enjoy the experience.
• Losing appetite. It is normal for pets to eat more at night when it is cooler and skip afternoon meals when they are feeling overwhelmingly hot. Shift meal times to early morning and early evenings to help them.
• Refusing their normal warm water baths! Yes, they like cold showers as well in the summers to bring down their body temperature, and drying in the summer sun removes any insects or organisms on their skin and fur.
• Panting. Dogs do not sweat like humans do. They pant to keep themselves cool. Heavy panting is a sign of dehydration, and your dog is trying to cool themselves down. Offer them water or a moist cold towel to lie on.
• Extra shedding! Yes, summertime shedding is a thing! Both dogs and cats shed a bit more in the summer to get rid of their thick coats. Brush them often to collect the excess fur so it's not all over your furniture.
• Leaving the beds and couches to sleep on the floor. They are just looking for cool surfaces to lie down on. You can put out cooling pads, ice packs, and wet towels in places where you want them to settle down.

Have a great summer with your pets and remember to keep them exercised and healthy. You can play indoor games when it is too hot outside or get an inflatable pet pool!