While we are busy putting sunblock over our bodies and drinking cool pops to refresh our bodies during summer, we often forget about our pets, and just like humans, dogs are sensitive to heat. Hence, because they are covered with fur and unable to tell you if they are hot or cold, it can be difficult for the owner to tell when their friend is danger of overheating. So here are few tips to help you keep your dog healthy, even through a hot summer.

1. Make sure that your dog fur is groomed accordingly to the time of the year. During cold seasons, winter and fall, let the hair grow long, but as soon as warmer seasons arrive, bring your dog to the groomer to trim their fur. Would you like to wear a winter coat all summer long? So doesn’t your dog!

2. Provide your pet with a comfy environment in the house. The dog’s room should not be higher than 77-80 F. If it is too hot for you, then it is too hot for you puppy as well! If it is a very hot summer day, put a little fan near the dog’s sleeping area. You can even use a cool wet cloth in front of the fan to cool down the area by a few degrees.

3. If your dog is spending some day outside on a hot day, make sure that there are cool shaded areas for the dog to rest. Also make to have on hand some cool water for the dog to avoid dehydration.

4. Check you dog’s water bowl. Make sure the bowl is at least half full at all time. Even in the shade, the water in the bowl can become warm, so check the temperature of the water every few hours.

5. Even on hot day, you will still need to give you dog its exercise. However, avoid long walks, exercicing and playing at the park with other dogs in the middle of the day. Opt for early hours, when the temperatures are cooler and the sun less strong. Bring a cool bottle of water and a bowl so the dog can drink after playing.

6. Summer is bugs season. Protect your dog against fleas, ticks and worms by vaccinating them or using specialized anti-bugs products. Remember that fleas and worm infestation can be dangerous for your dog, but the worms or the disease they carry can often also be transmissible to their owner. Heartworm disease is also a pest that affects canines. It is spread through mosquito bites and can be prevented using preventive medication.

7. We will never say it often enough. Do not leave your dog in the car on a hot day during long period of times. If you have to run a quick 5 minutes errand at the pharmacy, make sure to leave the window slightly open and to park the car in a shaded area.

8. Do not attach your dog to a pole, with no or insufficient protection against the sun. If you are going to have lunch or a coffee, make sure that the dog will have a shaded area where to hide from the sun. And remember that sun will move in the sky, so a shaded area could potentially become a dangerously exposed area in the hot summer sun.

Dogs, just like humans, can suffer from heat exhaustion and heat strokes. So take the all the necessary protection for your dogs during summer.

For more information, visit Heartworm Medicine.

A case for the use of a natural flea repellent

When you dog has fleas, it is pointless to treat your dog without treating your house as well. Remember that the dog’s environment can become a big reservoir of fleas if not treated. For each parasite you find, there are probably 9 other ones hiding in your dog’s hair or in the house! Knowing that each female flea lay up to 30 eggs per day, that will hatch and reproduce within 3 weeks, needless to say that a good house and dog treatment is essential to avoid recurrence of the flea problem. Here are some house natural flea repellent and control tips to help you and your pet stay away from the fleas for good.

Natural Flea Repellent and Control Tips that Work

First, make sure to wash puppy’s blanket every week and to keep it’s immediate environment clean. Avoid using a reed basket or a thick cloth mattress that can’t be easily washed. Just like rugs and carpets, they are cozy little nests for bugs, and nightmares for the owners and their little companion.

Second, when “fleas hunting”, make sure to put a lot of emphasis of the carpets, the cracks in the floor, the bottom of the curtains, the covering of fabric couches and the bottom of furniture, which are all favorite fleas hiding spots. During spring or summer time, steam clean your carpeting to kill and destroy any hidden parasites.

Third, use special products to treat your dog’s environment. We suggest you can make you own natural flea repellent mixture with 15 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of lavandin super oil, 5 drops of cannelier de Ceylan oil, 10 drops of vervain oil, and spray it in the dog’s basket, on the ground, where the dog likes to lie down, on cushions and on the bottom of curtains.

Other natural flea repellent tips

Moreover, you can also use some natural flea repellent such as lavender or cedar potpourri near the dog’s bedding, or under the dog’s blanket. This will keep the bugs away and smell good! You can also use add some neem oil in the dog’s shampoo to kill the fleas.

Fleas also enjoy a nice garden or big yard with grass. If you have a garden, make sure to keep the grass short and to trip the bushes as often as possible. This will allow the sun to burn off the flea larvae. Keep your garden clean as heaps of grass, dead leafs and branches can also attract ticks.

In case of a flea problem, ants in your garden can be an asset. Those ants will feed on the flea larvea and eggs. Where you dog likes to lie down, clean off the dead branches and leafs, and put a dark plastic cover. The heat will kill off any flea larvea. You can also spread some diatomaceous earth, also known as diatomite or kieselgur a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be used as natural flea repellent.

Other readings: Effective flea and tick control for dogs, Choosing a dog flea treatment

Heartworm Medicine provides plenty of information about dog diseases and infections, as well as great recipes for natural flea repellents.