He does not eat anything! He’s listless! What happens? During hot weather, veterinary clinics receive constant visits from owners concerned about the change in “way of being” of their good friend. In most cases, there is only one culprit: heat.
Our pets also suffer from the rigors of high temperatures. Their bodies have to adapt to the summer season in the best possible way and, for this, we must make things easier for them. Eating habits and hair care are the fundamental pillars to ensure that the time of year most desired by humans is not the most stressful for pets.
After a comforting walk along the shore of a beach or after a hard walk through the countryside, it is not usual to go for a Galician broth or for a spectacular stew and much less if the temperature that surrounds us is the usual one of a hot summer. Our pets have “similar sensations” to their food when the heat strikes, and this provokes the laments of the owners due to the sudden loss of appetite of their “furry friends”. It is not therefore a cause for alarm that Toby looks crookedly at his “feed balls” and goes to the water pot with the same gesture due to a more than possible high temperature of the liquid element. To do?
In principle, we will ensure that the food is not visible to the animal all day, because apart from decreasing its appetite even more, it will overheat and even spoil, this being more frequent in canned foods and in homemade meals. We will offer them food at times of the day when the heat does not punish their appetite so much ( early in the morning and late at night ) and we will avoid having large amounts of food on their plate. In the case of water, we must be responsible: the inadequate temperature is usually the main cause of loss of appetite for our pets in the summer. Who wants a big glass of hot water to quench their thirst?
Although it seems to us that stress and summer are incompatible, our beloved pets suffer a stressful situation with the arrival of high temperatures. Mainly significant stress in long-haired breeds (collie, bobtail, Persian cats …) and in breeds still poorly adapted to high temperatures (Nordic). An animal stressed by heat will need a greater number of nutrients to compensate for the imbalance that stress causes in its body. The downside of this film is that the animal has no appetite, the food intake decreases and it becomes tremendously difficult for the body to receive this greater number of nutrients that it is so in need of. To solve this, we must offer our animal its usual food (rich in nutrients and very appetizing) in the coolest hours of the day. There are cases in which the animal will need “extra” support in the form of special diets , which further increase the animal’s appetite for food, generally increasing the percentage of fat in the ration.
We did not want to end without commenting on the importance of our pet’s “clothes” in the face of rising temperatures. Would you be able to eat a single bite of the most palatable paella or the best “fried fish” in a beach bar with your body surrounded by a nice and fluffy wool coat or a fleece lining? Faced with the summer heat, we must prepare the “wrapper” of our pet so that it does not harm him even more in his desire to eat. Whenever the professional recommends it, a “summer cut” will be made that provides comfort and well-being to the heated animal . We can also refresh it with water showers (without using soap) when the temperature recommends it, and we will follow the usual bathing and brushing guidelines for proper skin and hair hygiene.
Let’s check her wardrobe and worry about her diet. With these two actions, our best friend will be in the best conditions to enjoy a wonderful summer with the family.
