Dog Days of Summer

We recently celebrated Take Your Dog to Work Day with a very special guest: Khloe from the Fredericksburg Regional SPCA! Even though our offices are dog-friendly all year-round and we frequently have agents’ dogs come visit, we wanted to give an SPCA resident a fun day out on the town! Khloe had a great time hanging out and meeting the agents in our Downtown Fredericksburg office, sniffing every blade of grass in Hurkamp Park and getting lots of treats! Check out our Facebook page for all the cute photos of Khloe’s first day at work!

Summer is an awesome time to explore the great outdoors with man’s best friend! Unfortunately, the high temps can really put a damper on summer fun. Here are a few ways you can make sure that Fido stays safe and cool in the dog days of summer!

If the sidewalk is too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pup.

Think about your normal walk route or your trip from the car into the pet store–is it on hot asphalt or concrete? An easy way to double check if the ground is too hot for your dog’s paws is to place your palm on the ground and hold it there for 5 seconds. If it’s too painful for you, just think about how Fido’s paws will feel! If you can’t avoid the heat by taking walks in the early morning or late evening, stick to the shade.

Never leave your dog in the car.

Most people are aware of how dangerous it is to leave your dog in a hot car but it bears repeating! Even with the windows cracked, cars can get up to deadly temperatures incredibly fast. If you won’t be able to bring your dog with you, it’s safer to just leave them at home in the AC!

Our VP of Marketing, Angel Piontek, with two of our frequent office visitors: Jett and Sandy!

Protect them from fleas and ticks.

Hiking and enjoying the great outdoors is one of the best ways to bond with your fur-baby! Make sure they’re protected from fleas and ticks, especially when in tall grasses or deeps woods as Lyme disease is common in our area. Your vet will be able to recommend a good flea and tick preventative.

Hydration is key!

Taking a road trip this summer? When you’re traveling with your pup, bring a water bottle and a portable bowl with you so they can re-hydrate on the road! Sticking to the shade, keeping the AC on or encouraging them to lay on a cooling mat while in the car can help keep their body temps regulated.

King George agent Jennifer Spellman Smith with her beautiful pup Ziggy!

Supervise water sports.

Even if your dog likes to play in the pool or the ocean, don’t assume they are great swimmers! A doggy life jacket is easy to put on and will help your dog stay afloat in case they get too tired or knocked over by a strong wave. Once you’re done for the day, make sure to give them a quick rinse to remove chlorine and harmful chemicals from their fur.

Hold off heatstroke.

Your dog’s been running around all day in the heat and he’s panting pretty hard. How do you know if it’s heatstroke? Look for heavy panting, glazed eyes, difficulty breathing, lethargy, fever, dizziness, vomiting, excess salivation, and a rapid heartbeat, just to name a few. If you think your pet may have heatstroke, move them to a shady or air-conditioned area as soon as possible and apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck, and check. Give them small amounts of cold water or let them lick ice cubes. Then, call your vet.

We hope you and your fur-babies have a safe and happy summer! Haven’t found your best friend yet? We’ll be hosting our annual Homes for Dogs Project in the fall, where we help furry friends in our area find their “furever” home. Last year, we were able to help 19 dogs get adopted and donate 100 “adoption starter kits” to 4 local shelters.