Real animals can get quite hot during the summer days. Overheating can be very dangerous for them, so it is best to know how to help them. Toys can help too, including stuffed animals.
Shade and fresh water are essential for every animal. Have plenty of fresh cool water available to the animal(s) at all times. Some won’t drink from a bowl after they have already drank once, so be sure to change the water.
If the heat is serious, you can also spray down the animals with some water during the hot afternoon hours. This is not a replacement for shade, but an addition and that is important to know.
Some animals actually stop drinking water when they overheat. The way to know that is to keep notice of how much the animal drinks on average. If it does drink less than normal, start cooling the animal down with spraying it down with water, cover the neck with a wet blanket.
Chic Miller, who owns Bella Vista Farms animal rescue, says rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals can keep cool by lying on a towel or stuffed toy animal that has been soaked in water, Redding.com reports. Pet owners should always keep their animals at home when it is hot, Miller said.
People who take their animals out for a walk in the heat may not realize their pets feet are burned walking on most surfaces exposed to the sun, she said.“If you want to walk your pet, you go barefoot” so you know how the animal’s feet feel, she said.
If you do have to go out as an exception, then be sure to bring with you water a towel to wet and take frequent breaks in the shade. It is also good to know the five-second rule – if you can’t keep the top of your hand on the ground for more than five seconds it is too hot for your dog to walk on it.
