Beach Bodies for Pets
Caught my cat during a late night binge!
As we reminisce about our successful summer diets before the autumn chill sets in, we sometimes forget about the dietary health of our pets.
According to Dr. Betsy King of Power Road Animal Hospital, she notices weight change among her furry patients as a byproduct of the intense seasonal heat.
“I notice many of our patients put on a bit of weight due to decreased exercising outside,” Dr. King said. Even in an air conditioned veterinary hospital, Dr. King said dog and cat body temperatures can go a few degrees higher than normal. Pets are thus limited on how much time they can exercise outdoors due to the heat.
More than half of dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight according to a recent survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. In an effort to offset weight gain caused by lack of exercise, pet owners are becoming more concerned about the nutritional value of pet food they purchase.
The FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulate the bare minimum nutrient levels for food. Finding the right food, however, can still be tough due to misleading claims and confusing calorie measurements.
Great tips on WebMD.com can get you started in finding the right cat food and/or dog food. Otherwise, try out some of these toys on your animals to burn some fat along with TechNiche’s body cooling products for dogs.
Got any other suggestions for giving your pets washboard abs before the end of the summer? Please share your ideas below!
Pet Hazards in Arizona Heat
Courtesy of Veterinary Pet Care Newsletter
Lots of Arizonans are hoping the weather will cool down soon, but will still suffer from dry heat averaging in the triple digits for the time being. We know how summer affects us, but what can it do to your cats and dogs?
Dr. Danielle Landreth, my veterinarian sister who works at Power Road Animal Hospital, said pets can face problems ranging from over heating to harmful insects.
“We will occasionally see accidental over heating (locked in hot cars or left outdoors) or cases of drowning,” Dr. Landreth said. “Insects [ticks, fleas, etc.] are seen more frequently during the beginning and end of the summer season.”
A pet locked inside a car for as little as 10 minutes risks sitting in temperatures almost 10-20°F hotter than outside the vehicle!
A good rule of thumb, according to Dr. Landreth, is this: “If it is too hot for you to be outside, then it is too hot for your pet to be outdoors.”
Here are some other tips to keep your pets safe:
- Use sunscreen without Zinc and paw shoes if you take it outside during the day, says Dr. Landreth. Otherwise, wait until early morning or late evening to let animals outside.
- Dr. Landreth says cut fur coats short, but not so short that it would increase chances of sunburn
- Remove ticks with tweezers or tick remover instead of your hands, and invest in flea/tick and heart worm preventatives, says Dr. Landreth.
Pet Forecast 