Some hints to help pets stay safe and well in Summertime
Following the miserable Winter we have had, it’s hard to remember that we do sometimes get hot summery weather in the UK, but we do and here are a few hints to help pets stay safe and well in Summertime.
- Check regularly for fleas and ticks on the skin, and look out for adders when walking in country areas.
- If you are leaving your pet at home for several hours, make sure there is a cool room or area available – leave a fan on if necessary, and also plenty of water.
- If you are leaving your pet outdoors for any length of time, ensure shade (and water) are available.
- Take a bottle of water and a drinking bowl with you if you are taking your dog out for long walks or on car journeys and offer water regularly.
- If you walk your dog regularly on pavements, check for sore pads in hot weather.
- Above all, don’t ever leave your dog in a car on a warm day, even if not in direct sunshine.
As the weather gets warmer there are several Diet’Dog supplements that become particularly useful and relevant for your pet. Vets always find increasing numbers of pets with itchy skins during Spring and Summer months (trees, grass irritations, fleas and other parasites, dustier and drier air).
One or more of the following supplements will therefore be an ideal choice to add to your pet’s food:
Flea and Tick Defence Drops: This is a natural spot on to repel fleas and ticks based on natural essential oils such as Eucalyptus, Pine and Lavender. Applied weekly, it will help keep your pet free of external parasites naturally. Natural products, free of chemicals, are always preferable to conventional products which contain ingredients that are potentially harmful, and I personally hate to see used on my patients.
Itchy Skin Complex: For all pets with itchy, dry skins, especially if known or suspected to be seasonal irritation, a regular daily supplement of Itchy Skin Complex is a must. Itchy Skin Complex contains herbs such as Wild Pansy and Horsetail, vitamins like Biotin, and essential minerals including Manganese and Zinc: all of which help improve skin and coat condition, but more importantly soothe and calm itching and scratching. Many of my patients take this throughout the Spring and Summer months to help with their seasonal itch and irritation.
Skin Relief Spray: I find this an invaluable product for my patients – it’s a spray containing 14 herbs and oils that act as an ideal soothing, cooling and antiseptic combination. It’s ideal for all skin irritations, itchy skin and for minor cuts and grazes. With its antibacterial properties it helps clean the area and soothe irritated skin. It also assists the body’s natural healing mechanisms, so that damaged skin heals quicker.
Paw Balm: I see so many poets with dry, sore pads in the Summer months, simply from walking on dry, ridged fields, or hot hard pavements. Diet'-Dog Paw Balm is not only a ‘paw balm’ it’s a skin balm to rub into your pet’s dry, tender pads. It contains herbs and oils that soothe and rejuvenate the skin that covers and protects the pads of the feet. Used regularly it will keep your pet’s pads in best possible condition and less susceptible to damage from hard and hot surfaces.
D-Dog Superfoods and D-Dog Superfoods Beta: This is a general supplement for health and vitality, but is a particularly effective product to promote healthy skin. It comprises a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals, and herbs such as Nettles and Alfalfa, which help your pet glow with health – especially the skin! For a richer, darker skin tone and colour, I find d-dog superfoods beta even more effective.
Article Author: Richard Allport, by kind permission of Diet'Dog
Article Date: 13 April 2017
