Keep your dog safe in summer: Car Safety, Heatstroke & Stings

Hot Cars

Do you know how long it takes for a car to heat up in the summer? See our infographic below for steps to take if you see a dog alone in a car on a hot day.

Hot Surfaces

If your dog does suffer from burns or blisters on their paws or any body part, visit your veterinarian for assessment. If the burns are minor, you can use Skin Spray, an all-natural wound and skin healing solution, on the affected area.

Skin Spray

Herbal skin and wound care

Take a look at our infographic below to learn how you can protect your dog’s paws from hot pavement and other hot surfaces this summer.

Heatstroke and Dehydration

As the temperatures rise, it’s important to understand that dogs cannot regulate their temperature as well as people because they do not sweat. This is especially true in short-nosed breeds.

Preferably walk your dog early morning or later in the evening and ensure they get enough water to prevent dehydration and heatstroke.

Signs of dehydration in dogs include:

- LETHARGY

- DRY EYES, MOUTH, AND NOSE

- LOSS OF ELASTICITY IN THE SKIN

- PANTING

- LOSS OF APPETITE

- VOMITING

- SUNKEN EYES

Read here about how much water dogs should drink, and why mineral deficiencies can also lead to dehydration and premature aging.

Signs of heatstroke in dogs include:

- PANTING

- DROOLING

- VOMITING

- LETHARGY

- RAPID HEART RATE

- RED MUCOUS MEMBRANES IN THE MOUTH

- DRY NOSE

- MUSCLE TREMORS

- BLOOD IN THE MOUTH OR STOOL

Beware of intense vigorous exercise in the heat of the day, especially if your dog is passionate about fetching.

The following articles describe how to exercise your dog safely:

One of the most common mistakes people make when exercising their dogs.

Why Frisbee fetching may be risky for dogs.

Prevent your dog form cranial cruciate ligament injuries.

Stings and Bites

With summer also comes an abundance of insects! If you or your dog is stung by a wasp, bee or caterpillar, treat the area immediately to reduce pain, stinging and swelling.

Soak a few pieces of gauze with Skin Spray and secure to the affected area with Vetrap. To keep the area moist, spray the area with Skin Spray every 2-4 hours. If the bandage gets dirty be sure to change it as needed. Keep the bandage saturated and moist with Skin Spray solution for 48 hours to keep the swelling down. If you remove it too early, swelling may appear again.

If the swelling does not go down or gets increasingly worse, your dog may be having an acute allergic reaction. See your veterinarian immediately.

For mosquito bites, simply spray the itchy area with Skin Spray every few hours and the itch should be gone in a day.

Read more about how to treat insect bites and stings naturally here.

Products Mentioned

Skin Spray

Herbal skin and wound care

Parasites

Fleas, ticks, heartworm, Giardia and other parasites have a heyday in the summer — they love the warmer weather too.

Check your pup regularly for fleas and ticks and use FleaHex and TickHex as a preventive or if you find fleas and ticks.

TickHex

Natural tick control for dogs

FleaHex

All natural flea control for dogs

Check your dog for intestinal parasites once or twice a year of if digestive problems arise. Educate yourself about what to do if your dog is diagnosed with Giardia and how to prevent Heartworm safely and reduce the use of toxic drugs.

Here are a few helpful articles:

Heartworm dilemma - drugs or no drugs - natural treatment protocol

Are drug companies honest about heartworm?

I think my dog has fleas

Can feeding a raw diet prevent fleas?

Demodex mange in dogs - natural treatment and diet

Natural approach to treatment and prevention of tick paralysis in dogs

Complete guide to natural tick prevention and Lyme disease in dogs

Holistic and natural approve to treating diarrhea in dogs

Fireworks, thunder and loud noises

There are many things to celebrate in the summer months, but with summer also comes thunder, parties (and doorbells), loud music and noise in general.

If your dog reacts to loud noises, please keep your pup indoors and play some relaxing music when needed.

If you are anticipating fireworks or a thunderstorm, here is what you can do on the supplement and homeopathic front:

1. Use the homeopathic preparation called Aconitum Napellus (Aconite) 200C or 1M (30C will work as well, but it is not as potent, hence it will have to be repeated every hour during the fireworks madness.) Some vials are marked as C and other CH, which is the same.

Give three mint-sized pellets or 10 poppyseed-like pellets three times, three hours apart (1 hour apart for 30C potency). You can find this remedy in a local homeopathic pharmacy or online at Helios in the UK (they ship remedies to the US and Canada) or Hahnemann Pharmacy in the US.

2. Use LiverTune that contains Ashwagandha (an adaptogen) that is know to calm dogs down (this can be also used if flying, travelling, etc.).

3. Add Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. Use 5 drops in the water bowl (a cup of water) on the day of the fireworks.

4. If you are taking your dog outside, use a Perfect Fit Harness with a Gentle leash to protect your dog from injuries if they bolt or get scared.