Indian summer is a great time of year for spending time outdoors with your dog. There’s nothing I like better than to take my two boxers Deuce and Elle for a swim and a hike to make them happy —and I swear they can smile! There are so many wonderful acres of conservation land in this area that you can enjoy with your dog—or you may even have a wooded lot of your own where they can adventure and explore. Indian summer comes with beautiful warm weather, but like the warmer months of July and August, it also brings with it different considerations for pet owners to be aware of for the safety of their animals.

Keep in mind that pets need fresh water at all times or they can get dehydrated easily. Check the water levels in their bowls regularly and always bring extra bottled water when you are away from home with them. Should your dog get into stagnant water such as from a pond, there is a risk for giardia, a parasitic disease. This is recognized by listlessness and diarrhea and is highly contagious to other dogs. Humans can get this as well, but cannot contract it directly from their pets.

only takes a few minutes for a dog to overheat in a car or other hot area – even if the windows are cracked. If they are panting that means they have overheated, and trying to cool down. Dogs have a higher body temperature than we do to begin with, and do not tolerate heat the same way: they don’t sweat through their pores as we do and instead they use their noses and mouths to cool down by panting. Do not leave your pet unattended in a hot car even for a few minutes—it’s a dangerous risk to take and can be stressful or even fatal in a matter of minutes. If you’re planning to run a few errands, it’s best to leave pets at home where they are safe.

A few good products I’ve seen over the summer are cooling beds, which are filled with a special material inside that keeps it at a low temperature perfect for dogs. There is also a neck wrap and vest made from similar material. In a pinch, wet a bandana and freeze it to help cool your pet.

Also, although you cannot use the same mosquito repellants on your dog as you use for yourself, there are topical herbal remedies available at the pet supply store or recommended by your veterinarian. I’ve also heard garlic does wonders with keeping mosquitoes away and have tried it with my own dogs with some success! You may have also heard about Lyme disease and heartworm disease, which our pets are at a higher risk for contracting in this region. You may not even know when your dog gets infected, but it is important to know how to prevent these diseases and recognize symptoms.

Lyme disease is contracted from the deer tick. The deer tick can also spread another disease, called anaplasmosis, the same way. The larger brown ticks can transmit ehrlichiosis. They are all parasitic diseases and need to be treated. Although your pet cannot spread these diseases directly to a human, we can be infected directly by a tick in the same manner. Statistically, dogs are fifty percent more likely to get Lyme disease than humans.

Although not all deer ticks carry disease-causing bacteria, there is a chance they are, and therefore prevention is important. The tick becomes infected if it feeds on a small mammal that harbors bacteria that transfers Lyme disease. The symptoms to look for include the following: lameness, lack of energy, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen and/or painful joints, pale gums—or just not acting normal. For more information regarding ticks and related diseases from the IDEXX Laboratories, visit www.dogsandticks.com.

If Lyme disease is detected or has returned, the standard treatment is antibiotic, which usually gives relief within one week. If caught and treated early, the outcome is usually very positive that your pet will fully recover from symptoms.

Heartworm disease is a very serious illness which can be fatal if not treated immediately. This disease is contracted from mosquitoes. Symptoms can be delayed but can include: mild persistent cough, reluctance to move or exercise, tiredness after moderate exercise, reduced appetite, and weight loss.

Some of these infections can’t be cured completely, but early intervention will give your pet the best prognosis.

Karen Newsham is owner of Happy Tails Pet Care Services, a professional pet care service, and has over 20 years of experience with domestic animals. For response to reader questions or comments, email: karennewsham@comcast.net.