Hola, hola! Once again, welcome back to my monthly column where I share some thoughts with my readers about different animal-related topics. It is June already! Time to get ready for the summer, but this year sure feels like everything is different, doesn’t it? Even though we may not have a typical summer, I am sure our Texas heat and weather will not be forgiving.

This brings me to our June topic: tips for pet wellness during the summer.
When we think of a Texas summer, the first thing that comes to mind is the heat that melts our soul. If we feel that way, imagine how our fur babies feel under that fur and walking around barefoot!

Ideally, avoid walking your dog (or cat, if leash trained) during the hotter times of the day. It is best to go on walks early in the morning or later at night. If you are unsure of how hot the ground may be, you can touch it with your hand or bare foot for a little while and see if it is bearable or not. You can also have your baby wear boots when walking outside, although many dogs will walk funny when you have them try them on for the first time.

It might be common sense, but this one is very important: DO NOT EVER leave your pet inside your car, not even for a minute, even if you crack the windows down! This one is a big no-no, as it gets really hot very quickly inside the car. If you know someone that thinks this is fine, challenge that person to stay in the car during the heat of Texas and see how that goes for them! (Just kidding, if that person has no common sense, this experiment may not go well.)

It is also very important to always have water available at all times for your babies, especially during the summer.

An excellent way to enjoy the Texas summer heat is to hang out at a lake or a pool. If this is something that your fur baby also enjoys, make sure to consider the use of sunscreen for light colored and short-haired fur babies. There are sunscreen products for pets, but if you elect to use a different one, you can look into sunscreen options for human babies. Just avoid products that clearly state ingestion warnings, as pets may lick them off their skin.

The areas where they would need the most protection are going to be the bridge of the nose, lips, paws, ears and belly (areas with no hair or little hair). Also, remember to apply regularly, as you would with yourself.

Another important thing about summer is the Fourth of July fireworks. Many pets can be terrified of fireworks, so it is important to manage and prevent those phobias. Consulting with an animal behaviorist is always recommended, but there are some products out there that you may try, even in combination.

The most popular and effective options are ThunderShirt, Zylkene nutritional supplement and Adaptil (for dogs) or Feliway (for cats) products. These are the more holistic approaches to potentially prevent fear of fireworks. However, if none of these options work, ask your veterinarian for a prescription that can help your baby.

In our LGBTQ community, we tend to be very social and love hanging out with our loved ones, including our fur babies. Because there are so many diseases and parasites out there, it is important to make sure your babies have their yearly or biannual checkups with their vet. I am not a fan at all of vaccinating every dog and cat against everything, as lifestyles determine exposure to certain diseases and parasites. But it is also important to make sure your babies are on flea, tick, and heartworm prevention year round, especially during the warmer months of the year.

Times are scary and knowing about all of the dangers out there does not help at all. But on a more positive note, we have ways to prevent and/or address them. It is just a matter of educating ourselves through valid and reputable sources and having hunger to learn and do the best we can.

With all of this being said, let the summer start and let us enjoy it with our fur babies! Abrazos, as always.

Dr. Josh owns Isla Veterinary Boutique Hospital at 14380 Marsh Ln. Ste. 110 Addison (next to Tom Thumb). Contact him via phone at 972-738-1111 or visit his website at IslaVet.com.