Summer heat and hidden hazards: protecting your animals

By Dr. Blake Miller, for The Mountain Times

Summer in the mountains means more time outdoors for animals and the people who love them, but warmer weather brings a predictable set of health risks. A little planning now prevents most of them.

Heat is the first concern. Dogs and cats cool themselves mainly by panting, and they overheat faster than most people expect. Never leave an animal in a parked car, even with the windows cracked, because interior temperatures climb to dangerous levels within minutes. Walk dogs in the early morning or evening, and test the pavement with the back of your hand first. If it is too hot to hold comfortably for several seconds, it is too hot for paws. Signs of heatstroke include heavy panting, drooling, weakness, and vomiting. This is a true emergency. Move the animal into shade, offer cool water, and call your veterinarian right away.

Camelids and goats have their own heat challenges. Llamas and alpacas carry heavy fiber and shed heat poorly, so shearing before the hot stretch arrives is essential. Give them deep shade, moving air, and cool water at all times. On the hottest days, spraying the legs and belly with cool water helps far more than wetting the back. Open-mouth breathing and heavy drooling are warning signs of a camelid in serious trouble.

Backyard chickens feel the heat too. Panting and held-out wings mean a bird is struggling to stay cool. Provide constant fresh water, add shade and ventilation to the coop, and set out a shallow pan of cool water on extreme afternoons.

Parasites peak in summer. For goats and sheep, the barber pole worm is the biggest threat. This blood-feeding stomach worm causes anemia, bottle jaw, weakness, and death when it goes unnoticed. Learn to check lower eyelid color with the FAMACHA system, and build a deworming plan with your veterinarian based on fecal results rather than the calendar. Flystrike is another warm-weather danger. Flies lay eggs on soiled or wounded skin, and the maggots that hatch cause severe damage quickly, so keep tails and hindquarters clean and check animals often.

Water hazards deserve real attention here. Warm, still water can grow toxic blue-green algae that is dangerous and sometimes fatal to dogs and livestock that drink it. If a pond, lake, or slow stretch of river looks like spilled paint or pea soup, keep animals out and offer clean water instead.

A few smaller items round out the season. Foxtails and grass awns work their way into ears, paws, and noses, so check your dog after walks through dry grass. Fleas and ticks are active, and tick-borne illness is a genuine concern, so keep prevention current. Bees and wasps are busy as well, and a swollen face or sudden hives is worth a phone call.

None of this should keep anyone inside. The goal is to enjoy the season while respecting what heat, insects, and water can do to the animals in our care. When something seems off, trust your instincts and reach out early. Most summer emergencies are far easier to prevent than to treat.

Dr. Blake Miller owns Northwest Mobile Vet, a mixed-animal practice serving the Mt. Hood and Portland area. He can be reached at 503.765.6702, info@northwestmobilevet.com or at www.northwestmobilevet.com.