Ways to keep your pets cool in summer

Summer is finally here, which means we are all looking for ways to keep cool during the heat of the day. But while you are searching for an air conditioned building, spare a thought for the pets of Perth who may find it a little harder than us to keep cool on those scorching days.

Thankfully, there are things we can do to make the weather more bearable for our furry and feathered friends:

• If your dog is outdoors during the hottest part of the day, make sure he or she has a shaded area to sit in. If you can make sure it’s shaded all day, you’ll be giving your dog a cooler surface to sleep on when the temperatures rise.
• Buy a children’s clam pool from a hardware or department store and fill it up for pooch to cool off in during the day.
• Freeze some water in ice-cream containers and give your dog an ice block when you leave the house. Better yet, freeze some toys or treats in the water so they will be more interested in licking. You can also make frozen yoghurt treats, or fill a Kong toy with yoghurt and berries and freeze it to keep them amused at the same time.
• Make sure your pet has plenty of fresh, cool water to drink. For dogs, it can be a good idea to have two water bowls in case they accidentally tip one over during the day.
• Small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs and birds are particularly susceptible to heat and should be brought indoors during hot weather. If you aren’t going to be home, lock them in the laundry or bathroom and let them run free on the cool tiles. If you want to leave them in their cage, drape wet towels over the cage and put a frozen water bottle in the cage for them to lean against.
• If you walk your dog daily, make sure you are doing so in the early morning or late afternoon. The hot bitumen will burn your dog’s feet easily if you walk during the middle of the day.
• Wet your pets’ face and feet if they seem particularly hot.
• NEVER leave your pet in the car on a hot day, or even a warm day, even if you have the windows down. Animals can suffer from heatstroke much more quickly than humans.
• Brush your cat regularly to remove loose hair. This will help prevent them from overheating on very hot days.
• Lay a wet towel on the ground for your dog or cat to lie on.