Jose Sanchez

4/12/18

Larchmont Animal Clinic

Another Sunny Day in LA

Now I know what you may be asking yourself; another summer article? Isn't it only spring? Although I would agree with you in both cases let’s face it, when isn’t it hot in Los Angeles? There is no such thing as being too prepared and when it comes to the sporadic weather of LA, we all know there will be hot days no matter what. We are the city of glitz and glam but more importantly were known for the infamously intense heat. With that in mind, we will be going over new tips (or else it would be pretty redundant) in order for you to always secure a safe sunny day for you and your pet. Remember knowing is half the battle but implementing it is the other half.

Fortunately for humans, we were blessed with the incredible invention known as the shoe. Although we know our feet will be protected on a blistering day, something you may not consider is how your pet's paws will be affected. Our bare feet and your pets’ paws are equally sensitive to the scalding pavement. If you are not sure whether or not the conditions are fine for your furry friend to walk just evaluate the temperature of the pavement. In order to do this simply place your hand on the sidewalk for at least 7 seconds and if it's unbearable then I assume you know what to do. You can avoid even more harm to your pet’s paws by walking them on the grass or walking them in the morning when it is cooler. The next tip you should consider on a warm day is how your dog’s ears will be affected. We all know most dogs love the water (recall not all dogs are strong swimmers) heck most jump in once they see a small puddle. However, what you should look out for is the susceptibility of your dog’s ears to an infection once they are wet. Especially if your dog has floppy ears remember to dry them thoroughly with a towel. This should be done in any situation whether your pouring water on them to keep them cool or if they just jump quickly into the pool dry their ears to prevent infection. There is a 15% increase in ear infections in late summer months so keeping this simple tip in mind can save a lot of pain and heartache. The final tip we will go over is what you should do if you ever encounter a pet in a locked car on a hot day. I know first instincts are to smash and grab but you should only exercise this as a last resort or if the situation calls for it (for example signs of heatstroke purple tongue etc.). Here are the proper steps you should take if you are in this precarious situation: alert the nearest business management, call the police or animal control, record vehicle information, and stay with the pet until help arrives. Remember to only act when the pet is showing signs of imminent catastrophe.

Even though it maybe hackneyed to talk about summer tips you can never be too prepared especially in the city of angels. In essence, if you know the potential dangers of hot days by gearing yourself with sunblock, flip-flops, and water then the same kind of care should be done for your pet. As a final tip or thought (but you should know this as the responsible parent you are) never leave your pet in the car on a sunny day. Unfortunately, this continues to be a common occurrence. All we need to do is to keep banging this information into everyone’s head because temperatures rise faster than you think especially in a car. Be safe, be responsible, but most importantly always enjoy your sunny day in LA.