Tips for Protecting Your Dog’s Health during the Summer

The summer can be a great time to spend with your dog. You can go on walks, enjoy the beach, and relax in the sun. However, summertime can also be dangerous for your dog’s health if you don’t take precautions.

Overheating

The heat is, of course, a major concern. Dogs can easily become overheated, especially if they are dark colored or heavily coated. To prevent overheating, there are few things you can do. First, always make sure your dog has access to cool, clean water. If you are walking your dog or taking him for a car ride, have at least one bottle of water and a portable dog bowl with you. Also, try to plot your route so you’ll be near places where you could easily get more water for him.

Another way to prevent overheating on walks is to schedule the exercise during the early morning or late evenings and to avoid walking over asphalt which attracts heat. Hot roads and parking lots can cause a dog to overheat faster and can even burn the sensitive pads on its paws.

Obviously, you never want to leave your dog in a car during the summer. And if your dog spends most of his time in the yard make sure you have adequate shelter to protect him from the harsh sun.

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Answers to Your Five Most Common Questions about Cat Behavior

Some say the world can be divided into two types of people: the ones who love cats and the ones who love dogs. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do think more people would enjoy feline companionship if they understood some of that “strange” behavior cats seem to be guilty of.

So to help cats make a better name for themselves with the dog lovers of the world, let’s look at why cats act so weird some times.

Why do cats run into one room then run back where they came from?

Cats, like dogs, have a lot of energy because they were meant to be hunters. Unlike dogs, cats in the wild don’t work with a pack – they have to be solely responsible for their own survival so they need plenty of energy to sustain them for hunting. And lots of what cats hunt – birds, mice, etc. – are pretty darn fast movers.

In a home, cats don’t get to use up as much energy so they expend it by running around crazily. It’s really not so weird – I’ve seen the same behavior in at least two of my dogs.

Why do cats “knead” everything?

Kneading is the term to describe the way a cat will push down on people or material then alternate paws – almost as if they were carefully working bread dough. Cats often do this before they lay down somewhere. And sometimes the process can go on for an eternity.

Cats do this because it reminds them of those long ago memories of being a kitten. Baby cats have to use kneading to help milk come from their mothers. That means kneading reminds them of being safe, warm, comfortable, and near their mothers. It’s a pleasant feeling for them and one they want to experience before lying down for a nap.

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Four of Your Dog’s Biggest Secrets . . . Revealed

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Do you think you know everything about your dog? Are the two of you really as close as you think? Well, there’s a good chance your dog has been keeping some big secrets from you.

But we’re about to break the silence on four of your dog’s biggest secrets.

#1 – Doggie Dreams

All dog owners have watched their sleeping pets begin to move or make noise while not waking up. Well, those are all signs that your dog is dreaming. Just like humans, dogs can go into a deep sleep and dream. It’s just one of the many things we have in common – like a love of hamburgers and a dislike for rainy days.

But what are dogs dreaming about?

If your dog is a sound sleeper, you might be able to get a good idea just by paying attention to his body movements. When your dog’s legs are moving a lot, he’s probably dreaming about walking or running. The faster his legs movement the faster he’s running in his dream. If your dog’s nose is twitching a lot, then he’s probably sniffing around some doggie paradise in his dream.

#2 – Coprophagia

What bizarre secret is your dog keeping? Well, he may possibly be a backyard coprophagiac. What is that? That’s the technical name for a dog that eats feces – either his own or other animals’ feces.

Yes, it’s a disgusting and gross habit, but it’s surprisingly common among puppies and even some mature dogs. Usually, the cause of this behavior has nothing to do with nutritional deficiency. Dogs eat feces because it has a strong smell, and strong smells seem tasty to dogs.

Other dogs may pick up the habit by imitation. One dog in the house starts eating feces, then you have your entire pack munching on their own bathroom in the backyard. It’s an ugly secret.

The good news is it is a habit you can break. First, talk about your dog’s secret with your vet so health problems, such as parasites, can be ruled out. Next, make sure you clean up after your pet more often or make his bathroom less tasty either by adding pumpkin or meat tenderizer to his food or by putting hot sauce on his feces.

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