GATEWAYS

  Hot Weather Safety Tips for Dogs We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being overeager in hot weather can spell danger. To prevent your pet from overheating, take these simple precautions provided by ASPCA experts: Visit the vet for a spring or early-summer checkup.  Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm if they aren’t on year-round preventative medication. Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them  plenty of fresh, clean water  when it’s hot or humid outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot. Know the symptoms of overheating in pets , which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104...