As the summer weather fades away and the cooler weather creeps in, people prepare themselves for the upcoming fall months. As you prepare yourself and your home for the weather, don’t forget your animals. Here are some tips on how to properly prepare your home with your pets in mind.

Be Mindful Of Your Decorations

Decorating your home for the upcoming holidays can be a fun task, but be aware of the potential dangers your decorations can have on your animals. Keep chewable or tempting decorations out of reach  from your pets, chewing and gnawing can easily lead to accidental ingestion. Your animals can choke or become sick if they get ahold of items like mistletoe, holiday berries, garlands and potpourri. Many of these decorations are nicely scented, which only tempts your animals even more. Don’t be afraid to decorate your home for the holidays, just be mindful of how and where you place your décor.

Keeping Your Animals Warm And Dry

Although we’re pretty lucky to have such beautiful weather year round here in Southern California, El Niño is still due to arrive later this year. Nights in Southern California can also get a bit chilly, especially for pets with shorter fur. Making sure your pets have a dry and warm place to sleep is probably one of the most important steps to take this coming fall. Also make sure your animals aren’t wet from the rain when heading to sleep. Wet animals combined with low temperatures make for uncomfortable and dangerous sleeping conditions.

Keep An Eye On Your Animals When Outdoors

As the fall season sets in, certain vegetation begins to grow due to the extra moisture. Mushrooms, in particular, love to grow in the grass during this time of the year. Although a small percentage of mushroom species are poisonous, keep your dogs wandering nose away from them, as a sniff may lead to a bite. Also, snakes this time of the year are out and preparing for winter. Due to our temperate fall weather, hiking is still popular this time of the year. Keep in mind that snakes still lurk in between rocks– if you see one keep your dogs at a safe distance.

Nutrition

With all the holidays upon us, we love to indulge in holiday treats; we also like to share these treats with our furry companions. Make sure treats are good for your animals and that it does not disrupt their regular diets. Make sure your animals are properly fed with the right amount of nutrients. The colder weather will increase your pets’ metabolism and making sure their dietary needs are met is most important. You may need to adjust the amount of food you give your pets based on their activity levels. Make sure to  speak with your vet to make sure you’re feeding your animals the right amounts.

Lets face it Halloween is around the corner and that means it’s time to think about….your pet’s costume! Think out of the box this year and don’t buy a costume, make a DIY costume for your furry friend instead. Here are our top 5 DIY costumes for your pet this season.

1) Ghost:  

There is nothing more original or classic than the ghost DIY costume. This will probably take you less than 1 minute and you even have to spend a dime on this costume. Just use an old blanket and cut three whole into it and Voila!    

Photo Credit: Instagram user jinwood74

2) Zombie:

Nothing has swept the nation/world like the zombie movement. Everyone loves zombie movies and shows like the “Walking Dead,” so why not dress up your pet as a zombie for Halloween. Don’t fight the trend, we are sure this DIY costume will be a crowd pleasure at a pet friendly party this Halloween.

Photo Credit: Deviant Art user LaskaWolf

3) Frozen

Forget a fairy costume, if you want to go whimsical Elsa from Frozen is the costume for your pet.

Photo Credit: Jaderbomb

4) Cerberus

As pet owners you love your pet and sometimes you might even wish you could have a clone of your dog or cat forever. Well that’s not possible yet… but a Cerberus DIY costume will allow you to have two fake clones of your pet for one night. This costume is as simple as going to the store and shopping for identical stuff animals of your pet and strapping them to opposite sides of your pet’s neck ! Easy peasy…right!

Photo Credit: Deviant Art user arania

5) Sushi:

I love sushi…you love sushi, most of us love sushi! People will appreciate your pet’s DIY sushi costume and probably invite you out for an all you can eat sushi buffet afterwards.

Photo Credit: Caturday

We hope these 5 DIY pet costume ideas will help you get a head start on your Halloween plans. Find out how  Pet Sit Pros can help you with caring for your pet, call us today and find out how at here.

 

Summer is a perfect time to play in the water with you pet. The weather is hot and water activities will help your dog stay cool. Many dogs enjoy swimming as much as humans. Whether your wet n’ wild fun involves swimming or splashing, both you and your dog will can benefit from some water play this time of year.

Know Your Dog:

Every pet is different– knowing the correct water activity for your pet is key when planning an activity. For instance, short snouted dogs may not be able to breathe well while swimming, and deep-chested, muscular dogs have a harder time staying afloat. To ensure that your pooch is fit for the pool, check with your veterinarian first and get their nod of approval.

Be Gentle:

Our furry friends all have different personalities and feelings. If you are going to play with them in the pool or around any body of water, make sure not to startle them. Slowly introducing them to the feeling of getting wet is an important step if that’s what they need. If they are going to be swimming or near big bodies of water make sure to put a life jacket on them for safety.

Here are  Water activities that are perfect for your pet

• Swimming in the ocean
• Running on the ocean shore
• Swimming at a dog friendly pool
• Water retrieval at a lake or ocean
• Paddleboarding
• Splashing in a plastic baby pool
• Running through community fountains

Keep  An Eye On Your Pet:

Lakes and pools are often surrounded by all kinds of wildlife and tempting birds. Be sure to keep track of your dogs location at all times and make sure they don’t wander off. Also, be sure to not let your dog overwork themselves in the water. Swimming can be very physically demanding and requires many breaks.

Before letting your dog swim in natural surroundings, survey the area for safety. Rivers and oceans can change frequently– consider the currents, tides, underwater hazards before letting your pooch play in the water.  In the late summer, algae scum on the top of standing water can be toxic, producing substances that can kill a pet who swallows the water. When in doubt, treat the situtation like you would a child: better safe than sorry.

Keep Your Dog Cool:

Bring fresh water and keep yourself and your dog hydrated constantly. Dogs can dehydrate just like you can.  When your dog is tired, call it a day.

At Pet Sit Pros we know how to keep your dog happy and healthy during the summer months. Call us today and find out how at here.

We all are feeling the heat this summer! This weekend will be especially hot with temperatures hitting the mid to high 80’s. With that said, here are 5 tips to keep your beloved pup safe while walking this steamy weekend.

Paw Checks

Checking your dogs paws before a walk is essential during hot weather.  If they seem delicate  don’t walk your pet.  While walking stop in shady areas and check your dogs paws again. If they feel too hot, stay off the pavement and only walk them on shady, grassy areas.

Don’t Go The Distance

Walking on your street may be boring but in order too keep your pet safe it’s necessary.  Keeping your walks near your home allows your dog to get back into the house if they become overheated and need to cool down.  Being near your house also allows you to access water and air conditioning that can help you cool their paws.

Short Walk

In this heat a 10 minutes walk is the equivalent of a 30-40 minute walk.  You won’t need a longer walk for your pet, the weather is part of the workout.

Avoid Pavement and Asphalt

Never walk your dog on hot asphalt, pavement or sand. Avoid walking your dog if the temperature is over 85F and use dog booties to protect your pets paws during walks. Asphalt can be 30-40 degrees hotter than the outside air temperture.

Timing is Everything!

Your safest bet during a heatwave is walking your dog early morning and late night. The truth is that not only will the weather be cooler but so will the ground.  If you aren’t able to walk your pet too late or early  try not to walk them at least between 1 PM – 6 PM. Remember pet owners, safety first! The summer is surely a season where owners should take a bit more precaution with their pets. We hope these 5 summer safety tips will help you this weekend  in keeping your pet healthy and safe. Pet Sit Pros can help you with caring your pet, call us today and find out how at here.        

Contest Guidelines:

We want to make YOUR PET our featured STAR!
Pet Sit Pros will be creating a 2016 calendar featuring the happy pets of our supporters and clients. Enter to win the chance for your pet to be featured on a month in our 2016 Calendar!

Basic rules: Photos: Pets only, please no people. Any type of pet is acceptable (dogs, cats, bunnies, birds etc). Pet Sit Pros may use the photos for promotion of the calendars on our website, social media, or for fundraising purposes. Please use high quality digital photos.

How to Enter:
Facebook: Upload your favorite photo to our Facebook Page use the ‘hashtag’ #PSPLongBeach and tell us why your dog should be featured in our 2016 Calendar.

Instagram: Upload your favorite photo, tag @PetSitPros, use hashtag #PSPLongBeach and tell us why your dog should be featured in our 2016 Calendar

The Winners: The top thirteen photos with the MOST likes will be featured in our 2016 Calendar. Winners will be announced via social media.

Terms: All entries must be received by 5:00pm October 1st, 2015. In submitting this photo you agree that its content does not infringe copyrights or other property rights of any party. You also agree that the photo you are submitting is your own. Contestants may submit more than one photo but only the photo with the most likes will be used if they are on the top twelve. Calendar sales: Each contestant will receive one calendar. Calendars can be preordered through our online store and will officially go on sale in Early-November

With rising summer temperatures, your dog can really feel the heat. Keeping your dog cool is vital for his well being, as heat stroke in dogs is a life-threatening condition. Keep reading for 5 amazingly simple ways to keep your furry friends safe from the heat!

1. Water

While this may be obvious, it is an especially important step. If your dog finishes the bowl quickly, get a bigger bowl or get a few bowls. Enact a family roster to ensure that someone is remembering to check and refill the bowl throughout the day.

2. Kiddie Pool for the Furry Kids

Give your dog somewhere to get wet! Set up a small wading pool or similar container of water for your dog to jump into and keep his cool in the yard. (Cheap plastic child-sized pools are great for this) He might also like to run under the sprinkler.

3. Cool That Tummy

Let your dog spend the hottest part of the day in the coolest part of the house. Ever notice your dog sprawled across your tile floor on a hot day? Providing access to the cooler areas of your home is an easy way to ensure your furry friends don’t overheat! If you don’t have cool flooring or your dog is outside, you can apply this principal by soaking a towel in cold water and letting your dog lie on that.

4. Proper Grooming is Important

Have a groomer clip your dog’s fur. This is especially important for dogs with thick, long coats. Take care that your groomer does not shave the dog completely. Leaving skin exposed can increase the chances of sunburn. The undercoat is actually part of a dog’s natural cooling system, but if not properly maintained it can become matted and prevent air flow across your dogs skin. Frequent brushing helps remove and “dead” fur and keeps your pets coat healthy and comfortable.

5. Treats!

Give cool or cold treats or ice cubes, a few at a time.  Dog ice cream can be found in specialty or pet stores, but if you like you can make your own. Frozen broth popsicles are another easy frozen treat your dog will love; simply fill ice cube trays or popsicle molds with your (low-sodium) broth of choice, chill and serve! Chilled cucumber is another no-prep option that is full of water.   Heat stroke and overheating is a serious condition.  If your dog is panting excessively, moving sluggishly, acts woozy, or loses consciousness, call your veterinarian immediately!