Shade Trees For Your Pet

Summer is right around the corner and I know most of us are thinking about lounging around in the pool or tanning in the sun, but the one thing you might not think about is what kind of protection you can offer your pets from the sun.  Since it is officially spring, the planting of trees and flowers are becoming a weekend habit.  In order to help your pet cope with the summertime heat, I’ve got a few pointers that will help Fido stay cool.

1. Make sure your pet has plenty of water - make water available to him throughout the day.
2. If you are leaving your dog outside for an extended period of time, make sure he has a nice shade tree such as a crape myrtle to lay underneath. What we don’t realize is that is can get incredibly hot in the direct sunlight and it can be many degrees cooler in the shade.
3. Keep your pet’s coat trimmed.  Their fur will trap heat so it is important to keep their fur short so they are able to cool off easily.
4. If you have a pool, allow your dog to jump in and take a swim with you!  This should only be done if you are in there with him - DO NOT allow your pet in there alone!  Your pet should be supervised at all times especially if the pool if too deep for him to touch.

Summer is coming fast - but Spring is a great time to get all your planting done so you and your pet can have a cool, enjoyable summer!

Thanks for reading!  As always your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!