PRESS RELEASE: 10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PET HEALTHY AND HYDRATED THIS SUMMER

IT’S HOT AS PAWS OUT THERE!

10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PET HEALTHY AND HYDRATED THIS SUMMER

December 2021: The annual PetSafe® Brand Australia Hydration and Health Awareness Campaign will kick off this January, fronted by PetSafe® Ambassador and Australian Personality, Tania Zaetta.

“This annual campaign is so important for all pet owners,” comments Tania, “being a dog-mum myself {to Cptn Charlie our Jack Russell} I know firsthand what it takes to keep our fur babies healthy, happy, and most importantly hydrated through all months, but especially during the hotter summer season here in Australia.”

Our pets are at greater risk of dehydrating faster than humans during the hotter months as their bodies are made up of more water than ours.

“Most people are unaware that our pet’s body is made up of 80% water, and humans’ are only 60% water”, continues Tania, “therefore, they need to drink more and more often than we do. The hotter your pet gets the greater risk of dehydration or heat exhaustion, and expensive vet visits!”.

So, how can we avoid a serious situation with our pet this summer?

Tania, Cptn Charlie, and PetSafe® Australia have teamed up to pull together ten easy ways to keep your pet healthy and hydrated this summer:

1. Know the signs of dehydration

The most common signs of dehydration include:
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Loss of energy
• Excessive, ongoing panting
• Loss of appetite
• Sunken, dry eyes
• Dry, sticky gums
• Loss of skin elasticity
If your pet has any signs, call your vet immediately for expert advice.

2. Know how much water your pet needs

Your pet needs around 60ml of water per kilogram they weigh EVERY DAY. For example, if your pet weighs 10kg, they need around 6ltr a day.
If they weigh 40kg, then they need 24ltr!

Keeping track of this can be challenging, especially if you have more than one pet or are away from the house a lot during the day. A pet fountain can provide your pets with fresh, filtered water all day and night and give you peace of mind. A Drinkwell® Butterfly Pet Fountain is an excellent option for smaller cats and dogs, and a Drinkwell® 7.5 Litre Fountain for those larger animals.

3. Always take water with you when out and about – even for short walks!

Are you going for a quick walk around the block? Or heading off on a long car adventure? Make sure you always take water for Fido. For those longer journeys, make sure you stop at least every 2 hours to let them stretch their legs and drink some water.

4. Too hot outdoors? Stay in with an icy treat

Is the weatherman telling us we are in for a scorcher? Maybe consider keeping Snoopy indoors. Heat can potentially be life-threatening to our pets, and if we are in for a heatwave, prolonged outdoor activity should be avoided. The temperature can become potentially dangerous from around 21 degrees to 26 degrees (depending on your dog’s weight and breed).

But staying in on a hot day doesn’t need to be boring. Treat dispensing and frozen treats are ideal for these hot days at home to keep your pet occupied and beat the boredom blues! Products like the Kibble ChaseTM Roaming Treat Dispenser or the popular Freezable Treat Holding Chilly Penguin are perfect options.

5. Exercise in the cooler hours of the day – and avoid hot paws!

Just as we try to avoid the hottest parts of the day to avoid high UV exposure, so should our dogs.
Daily exercise is recommended for all dogs; however, keep the high activity to early mornings or late afternoons during our hot months. And if you do go outside for a walk, make sure that the streets or paths are not too hot; if the path is too hot for your feet, it will be the same for your dog!

6. Add water to their dry food

We get a lot of our hydration from our foods, but dry pet food doesn’t contain high water levels. Try adding some water to their dry foods during the hotter months. This will top up their hydration levels and make the dry food go down easier.

7. All day shade

If you are out for most of the day, it is easy to forget that where you left your pup in the morning might have seemed cool and shady, but by mid-afternoon could be drenched in hot, stifling sunlight.
Ensure that there is always a shady, cool option for them to retreat to. A large outdoor UV umbrella, canopy, or sunshade could provide this option.
Dog kennels’ are also popular but can be dangerous if they are not specifically designed to be ‘heatproof.’ Always get some advice when picking a kennel.

8. Give them a haircut

The shorter the hair, the cooler the pet, and we aren’t talking ‘Fonzie’ cool. Cutting their fur shorter will allow more air to flow faster to their skin and keep them cool and happy. But remember, only single-layer fur dogs can be shaved. If you have a double coat dog (like a Samoyed or Border Collie) or an already short-haired dog, seek advice from a professional dog groomer or vet.

9. Let them splash!

Investing in a shallow child’s clamshell plastic pool and filling it with very (very) shallow water allows them to splash around to cool off. But make sure the pool is kept undercover and only used when someone is about to keep an eye on them. Never leave your dog unattended by water.

10. Let them be free

Never, ever chain or restrict your pet in the backyard. They need the freedom to find cool spots, exercise, and relief from the hottest part of the day. If you do not have a fully fenced area, containment systems might be a great solution. These DIY pet fences can be customized to your pets’ boundaries and set up quickly!

-ENDS-

Interviews with Tania Zaetta are available on request. Please contact Amanda Kuhn (details below)
Products from PetSafe are available on request. Please contact Amanda Kuhn (details below)

For more information about PetSafe® Brand products visit: www.petsafe.com/AU or contact Amanda Kuhn, Missy Mischief PR ([email protected] / 0410 570 993)

Download high res images from: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ecso65ofqzfpf9v/AAAadoZBsquMOfOwKcpfC9tAa?dl=0