MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Summer months can pose a lot of dangers to dogs, even outside of flea and tick disease. The warm temperatures reflecting on the concrete or darker asphalt can burn their pads, and cause excessive exhaustion or even vomiting. Other animals can also excite a dog’s prey drive, leading to further accidents. Marquette Veterinary Clinic says in even pouring water on them to cool them off can sometimes be detrimental to their health.
“It’s more important for animals to drink the water rather than hosing them down,” commented Marquette Veterinarian Clinic Owner Dr. Edward Brauer II.
“When you’re hosing them down you know part of the fur is actually an insulator so say for example if you had like a Siberian husky with nice thick dense fur that traps that air so that’s actually an insulation from the heat so if you take an animal and hose it down now you’re taking away that insulation,” continued Dr. Brauer
Red gums, warm and/or redness in the ears can also be good indicators of physical exhaustion in dogs.
For more tips on keeping your canine safe during the summer months in the Upper Peninsula click here.
