Vaccination Reminder and Heat Advisory For Pets

6/14/2016

As we celebrate Dads, Grads and the end of the school year, you may be finalizing plans for your summer vacation. If you own a pet, there are a few things you want to keep in mind or take care of before the summer begins.

Pet Vaccine Reminder

Whether you are traveling with your pet or planning to board your pet while you are away, remember that airlines and boarding facilities have strict polices and require health records and/or proof of vaccinations.
If you are traveling by car with your pet over state lines, most states require an interstate health certificate signed by your veterinarian.

Before you travel, please schedule a visit to your veterinarian to ensure vaccines are up-to-date, that your pet is healthy and free from infectious disease, and obtain the necessary health certificates for your pet.

Summer Tips To Help Keep Your Pet Cool

Heatstroke is a common danger for dogs and cats because they cannot cool down by sweating the way humans do.
Dogs will continue to overexert themselves when playing and exercising.

In heat and high humidity, play time can quickly turn to heatstroke. Heat stroke can occur in all pets but is seen most often in out of shape pets, pets that are unaccustomed to the heat and short-faced breeds like bulldogs, pugs, or Pekingese.

Follow these tips to help prevent overexertion and heatstroke in pets:

Play and exercise in early morning and late evening
Avoid exposure to the midday heat
Wet your pet's coat
Offer cool (but not iced) drinking water.

Even though you are taking every precaution to keep your pet(s) cool, there are certain breeds that are simply more susceptible to overexertion and heatstroke. So keep your eyes peeled for the following signs or symptoms of overheating:

Body temperature above 104%
Excessive panting
Bright red tongue and gums
Staggering
Seizures
Bloody diarrhea
Vomiting.

If you notice these symptoms or suspect heat stroke in your pet seek veterinary attention immediately! If you are close to our animal clinic at Alden Bridge, Cochran's Crossing or Indian Springs, give us a call to make an appointment for your pet or let our front desk staff know if it is an emergency situation.

Make An Appointment

5 Comments

Camille Devaux link

10/11/2018 06:25:16 pm

I had no idea that there are some dogs that can't handle the heat like others. Making sure that you are not giving your dog a fever or seizures is a big deal to me. Getting a new puppy means learning more about this, grooming, pet vaccinations, and others which I intend to do.

Hazel Owens link

1/14/2019 07:01:53 pm

That's good to know that you need an interstate health certificate signed by your veterinarian if you plan to cross state lines driving. My husband and I are planning a trip for the spring to visit his family and we have a Pomeranian, so I'm trying to figure out what we need to do before we leave. I'll have to find a vet to take her to so we can get her any vaccines she may need and get a certificate so we can easily cross state lines.

Sam Li link

2/11/2019 12:51:33 pm

I was unaware of the fact that heatstroke presented such dangers for both cats and dogs. I think that maintaining your pet's health is important. That's why it's imperative to get your animal properly vaccinated. If I were to adopt a young puppy, I would make sure to take him or her to a qualified vet in order to get all the necessary vaccines.

Marcus link

6/27/2019 04:58:04 pm

I love your dog vaccine article. It is important to stay up to date with them. Finding a good vet can help you give them the best ones.

Laurel Larsen link

8/28/2019 12:20:37 pm

It was interesting to read that airlines require health records of pets in order to even let them board. My sister is thinking about taking her dog with her on her upcoming vacation. I'll let her know that she should get her dog's vaccinations up to date and get a medical record for the airlines to verify.