August is here, which means we still have some summer left! As an animal hospital in Anaheim, it is our job to make sure that your pets stay safe and healthy. The sun is still shining, and the temperature is still warm. Typically owners will want to take their pets on adventures outdoors. Our team at Brookhurst Animal Medical Center wants to provide you eight recommendations for pug pet owners this summer. We love our pugs, and we want to make sure they are being kept safe and given the best love that they can get.
1 Hydration is key
The first tip from our Anaheim pet hospital is that you need to keep your pug hydrated throughout summer. Like we mentioned, the sun is still shining, and the temperature is still high. Pugs do not do well in extreme heat, so maintaining their fluids is critical during hot summer days. Pugs are adorable and have the cutest short noses, thick weight, and a thick coat. However, these physical aspects about them prove that they are not built for hot weather.
2 Keep their internal temperature stable
Although keeping your pug hydrated is the best way to help them handle the hot summer heat, we need to make sure that we keep them cool throughout the day. Pugs need cool spaces where they can when they need some time out of the heat. Of course, a nice air-conditioned room is the best, but if not accessible, there are other methods to be used. Our animal hospital in Anaheim recommends a cold towel if they get to warm.
3 Avoid hot hours of the day
We know you want to take your pug on your daily adventures, but it is best to avoid the hottest hours in the day. If you’re going to walk your pug for an extended period of time, we recommend taking them early in the morning or later in the evening. If you do take them during the day, please be cautious of how hot the cement can be for their paws.
4 Avoid random snacks found on the floor
If there is one thing pugs love, its FOOD. When you take your pug for walks, a crowded beach, or a dog-friendly restaurant, they will most likely find some sort of food. We cannot let our pugs eat whatever they find on the street. We have to be extremely cautious about what they get their little snouts into. There are many unhealthy foods for dogs, and we have to be extra careful that our pugs do not find their way into hazardous litter.
5 Be cautious of plants
Pugs not only like to eat whatever they find on the floor, but like every other dog, they love to smell everything they can find. Plants can smell pleasant to dogs, and if the plant smells good, they may try to eat it. Plants can be very hazardous for your pug, both houseplants and wild plants. If you take your dog for a walk, chances are it will be in a neighborhood, and someone may have a garden. In people’s personal gardens, they may be growing onions, azalea, and English ivy. These plants can be very dangerous for your pug if they ingest them.
6 Keep up with needed preventions
Our Anaheim pet hospital always encourages our patient’s owners to keep up with needed preventions, like tick, heartworm, and flea prevention. Summertime is a great season where many bugs like to come out and enjoy the sun as well as us. Due to this, we recommend that you take your pug to see a vet and see if they need updated prevention. However, if you have taken your pug out and you feel they may have gotten ticks, heartworms, or fleas, please take your pug to a needed vet to get tested and examined.
7 Keep an eye on your pug
Whether you take them to the park, the beach, or even on a simple neighborhood walk, you must always keep a careful eye on your pug. Our Anaheim pet hospital has seen its fair share of emergencies from accidents that occur outside of the home. We always want to make sure we keep an eye out on our pets. We may trust our pug children, but we still have to be alert for other animals, people, food, plants, and bugs that can potentially harm our dogs.
8 Check their ears and rolls
The last recommendation we want to give you is that you must consistently check your pug’s ears and rolls. Our Animal hospital in Anaheim has seen chronic ear infections from continuous moisture within the ears. During summer, our dogs may get plenty of baths, or even spend lots of time in or near water. Due to this, we must check our pug’s ears to ensure that they are not getting infected. The same applies to your pug’s rolls, and their face rolls can get very dirty from outside play. If rolls are not cleaned properly, it can lead to infection and discomfort for your pug.
Our team at Brookhurst Animal Medical Center hopes that these eight recommendations for pug pet owners were useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
