Summer Safety Tips for your Pet

Memorial Day is tomorrow - and it looks like summer is truly underway with people crowding the beaches, working to get fit bods, and of course, many taking their pets out to enjoy the great weather!

However, this warm weather can have a not so great impact on your pets if you're not careful. While walking, taking a drive, or just hanging out in your backyard, take heed to some of these summer safety tips for your pet(s)!

CARS
A big mistake many make throughout the year is leaving pets in the car, whether its to go get some quick groceries or dropping something off at the post office...whatever it is, you have to remember a car quickly heats up to dangerously high temperatures on even a semi-warm day. Keep windows slightly open to let air flow through.

When driving with pets, be sure to keep them properly restrained and inside the vehicle. Special seat belts and secured carriers can protect pets during accidents and prevent them from distracting the driver.

VACCINES/MEDICINE
Keep pets up-to-date on their vaccinations and preventative medications. Fleas and ticks stay busy in warm weather and summer is the prime time for heartworms. Check with a veterinarian about the best way to keep your animal healthy.

SAFE INSIDE
I'm sure plenty of you have animals that go inside and outside, or maybe even only outside...but you should always remember the dangers of your neighborhood and areas around it if you let your animal wander.

Cars, other pets and wild animals can all pose risks to your pet's safety - especially if it is a smaller pet like a cat or rabbit.

Pet rabbits should be kept indoors because they don't tolerate heat well. Keeping a rabbit indoors will provide protection from predators that might try to attack a rabbit in an outdoor hutch.

Also, never leave a dog outdoors unattended on a chain or tether. Long-term chaining during the hot summer months can result in countless insect bites, dehydration and heat stroke.

WALKS
When taking a dog for a walk on a hot day, try for shorter walks midday, when temperatures peak, and longer walks in the morning and evening when it's cooler. Hot sidewalks can burn the pads on a dog's paws, so walk on the grass when possible.

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Well those are just some of my summer safety tips for your pet. The Humane Society also has some other tips for your pet during the summer season!

A DAY AT THE SPA…FOR YOUR RABBIT!

Who can resist a full-body massage? Anyone? Anyone? I didn’t think so! Massages are appreciated – and SUGGESTED- for all social beings, and this includes our long-eared friends. The sense of touch is a powerful form of non-verbal communication. It offers both a spiritual and spiritual connection.

Massaging your pet - in this case your rabbit - is one step above “petting”. With each stroke, you can conduct a healing energy that flows through your rabbit. You may even discover certain problem areas while massaging, places of tightness, pain and restriction.
As you learn how to massage your rabbit, you will become more familiar with what is going right and wrong with their body. You will be able to find areas of inflammation, coolness, heat, lumps, bumps, warts, and tender spots. This can help alert you if anything is off and if a vet visit is necessary.

Rabbits are prey animals, which make them quite skittish. When they are healthy, they are very social beings that enjoy interacting with other animals and humans. Massage therapy will help your bunny be more comfortable with being held and create a closer bond between the two of you.

Also, bunnies can be difficult to handle during grooming sessions and visits to the vet. Their fear can disappear with regular massages to make them more comfortable with being held and touched.

The benefits of massage therapy are numerous, including: flushing out toxins, increased oxygen, blood flow, and nutrients to the muscles, stimulate healing and improve disposition.

For instructions on how to perform a massage for rabbits, check out this site:
http://www.catsandrabbitsandmore.com/massage_for_rabbits

Happy Massaging!

-Shoreh