This early spring doesn’t just mean early allergies, early bacterial food poisoning, and an earlier awakening or ticks and mosquitoes, it means taking into consideration warm weather risks for cats and dogs (and other outdoor pets if you have them, like rabbits, chickens, or other birds).
There are a few simple things you can do right off the bat to improve outside care:
-When temperatures will remain above freezing, add a small amount of colloidal silver to their water bowl for immune support and to help keep the water fresh (but colloidal silver falls out of suspension if temperatures get too cold, so plan ahead a little).
-Hopefully, you’ve either made some pest proof changes to your outdoor space, or you’re going to. How? Get rid of any places that hold (or could hold if it rains) standing water. Doing a pretty good job will help keep mosquitoes that carry West Nile away, doing a super thorough job helps keep the mosquitoes that carry tropical diseases like dengue, zika, and Chik-V away (and if you’re in an area expected to have those, namely the Mississippi Delta, take precautions to eliminate standing and use human & pet safe repellent in your home, too).
To keep out ticks, create barriers against wildlife, and wild grass (like a rock barrier between your yard and tall grass).
-Help pets with outdoor temperatures. Some breeds need a lot of help cooling down in summer. Some even need specially formulated for pets sunscreen. Others don’t get a winter coat and need you to provide one. And on a hot day, cement can quickly turn to scalding for shoeless pet paws. Having a plan for extreme temperatures (with an early spring it will likely include a hot summer) can help you avoid high vet bills later.
Finally, remember that your pet’s health can influence yours, too. If they get tick bites, they can carry ticks into your house, for instance. Plus there are the health benefits associated with owning and caring for a pet.
Share your weather-based pet tips with us in the comments: