Scratch This: Dog days of summer can be blazes for any pet

According to the venerable and homely Farmer’s Almanac, the dog days of summer run between July 3 and August 11. The Almanac tells us that during this period, the star Sirius occupies the same celestial location as our star, the sun. Ancient cultures noted that the period coincided with the hottest time of the year.

Sirius is commonly known as the dog star because of its membership in the constellation Canis Major, or “big dog.” The first use of dog days was likely in the mid-16^th century, probably in Britain. The time period itself might have inspired the expression “mad dogs and Englishmen” — dogs were said to go berserk in the heat, and people went all listless and dopey.

“Dog days” now describes any period of extreme summer heat, which gets longer as the planet warms. You can extend the term to cats and rabbits as well, and that’s what Scratch This will do here.

Pets in general need to be protected from bad effects of heat. LBACS volunteer Susan Peszat contributed many of the following tips (and thank you, Susan!) for dogs and pets in general. If you live with a pet, do the following:

•   “I can never say this often enough: never leave pets alone in a parked car, even with the windows cracked,” Susan said. “On an 85 degree day, within 10 minutes [even] with cracked windows a car can reach over 100 degrees.” By the way, leaving a pet enclosed in a car in conditions that violate their safety and well-being is in violation of California Penal Code 597.7. Worse, it could kill your pet.
• Give your pets access to ample shade and fresh, cool water. If the water heats up in the sun, change it for a cooler slurp.
• If the house, crate, hutch or outdoor area becomes too warm, use cooling items such as mats, water bowls and collars. If you don’t have air conditioning or if you’re being thrifty and not running it often, turn on fans. CatPAWS volunteer Julie keeps her longhair kitties cool by running her ceiling fans and placing big water bowls throughout her house, changing them frequently.
• If you own a hairless pet such as a Sphynx cat or a Chinese crested dog, slather pet-formulated sunscreen all over their bodies. This is especially important for cats, who’ll look for a sunny window or spot on the carpet even in 90 degree weather. Don’t use human sunscreen — it may contain toxins, and your pet may lick it off.
• When you walk your dog, apply animal sunscreen to the nose leather, particularly if it’s a light color. If the cat sits in a window, do the same. This helps mitigate the chances of cancer.
• Senior and overweight pets are more at risk in the heat. So are brachycephalic dogs and cats — those with short noses like bulldogs and Persian cats. The bone structure of their faces makes breathing and panting more difficult.
• Don't shave your dog or cat in hot weather! The fur of double-coated breeds like German shepherds, huskies and golden retrievers acts as insulation from both heat and cold. It also protects your pet from UV rays. Comb and brush them instead because they do shed. Rabbits should be brushed, too, but their fur can be trimmed with small scissors.
• Watch out for signs of heatstroke in your pet. They include confusion, excessive panting, red gums, extreme lethargy, excessive drooling, rapid heart rate and unconsciousness. Heatstroke can be fatal if not immediately addressed. If your buddy shows signs of heatstroke, get them into the shade, spray them with water, apply cold packs, and then hare off to the emergency vet. Click the resources link at the very end of this column for emergency veterinary clinics.

Here are some doggie dos and don’ts that Susan suggested:

• Stuff hollow Kong toys with treats and freeze them for a cooling snack. Shelter volunteer Patty makes pupsicles for her dog by putting chicken or beef broth in ice cube trays and freezing them
• Provide an elevated hammock or Kuranda-type bed to keep dogs off hot surfaces when outside.
• A kiddie pool filled with even just a few inches of water can give your doggie some wild playtime or a laydown in the “surf.” You can plan a puppy pool party for pawsy pals. Pet lover Vicky Lynn Marino’s son gives his two bulldogs their own pool party, which involvies a kiddie pool, a fan and a mister on top of a bucket of water.
• Cut back on exercise on hot days. Stick to cooler times like early morning and evening. Try to stay off hot pavement and sidewalks and walk in the grass instead.
• Susan recommended hosing down any concrete surfaces in your yard before letting the dog out. She suggested what she calls the sidewalk palm test to do before walking the dog:

“Place the palm of your hand on the pavement and press for seven seconds. If it's uncomfortable for your hand, it's too hot for your dog's paws. On a day in the mid-80s, asphalt surfaces can heat up to a scorching 135 degrees, causing a dog's paws to burn, crack or blister. Dogs cool off primarily through panting, but they release sweat through glands in their paws, which helps release a small amount of body heat. If your dog's paws are cooking on pavement, you're preventing that process from working as it should.”

That goes for cats as well, but we hope they stay indoors.

Cool down that rabbit hole

Rabbits are delicate and can become ill or die from extreme heat. The House Rabbit Organization offers a few ways to keep the hutch at March hare temperatures:

• Wherever the pen is, be sure that there’s plenty of shade. (For Peter Rabbit’s sake, please don’t leave the pen outdoors exposed to the elements and predators.)
• Set up a circulating fan to move air without blowing it directly on the rabbit.
• Drape a damp towel over part of the pen near a circulating fan or an open, screened window.
• Refrigerate a ceramic tile or a brick for 15 minutes and place it in your bunny’s pen.
• Add ice cubes to the water bowl to entice them to drink.
• Lightly mist your rabbit’s ears with cool water to help dissipate heat. Rabbits regulate heat through their ears and can’t sweat.
• Freeze bottles filled with water and place them in the pen where the rabbit will lean against it. If you have a fussy bunny, wrap the bottles in a towel or a sock.
• Keep your rabbit hydrated by providing plenty of fresh, wet veggies. See House Rabbit’s .

If you were wondering when I was going to stoop to the obvious pun, hope this summer’s dog days are Siriusly safe for your pet and you!

Yours drooly

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, and every dog is a bright star in his or her own right. Our shelter’s dogs in fact have the potential to go nova. These celestial bodies have been at Long Beach Animal Care Services way too long and would love to go home forever or wait comfortably in a foster home.

Speed the process to adopt or foster any LBACS pet by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call 562-570-4925. Better yet, visit LBACS at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

His name is Gallant (ID#A717488), and ain’t he just! Here he is, smiling for a selfie with volunteer Cheryl. Gallant is only 2 years old and is as playful as a puppy. He’s curious about everything, be it lizards, squirrels, other dogs or what treats you might be hiding in your pocket. He also chills beautifully with humans on those hot dog days — or any day. He loves being brushed so that he’ll look glamorous in those selfies. Gallant is the perfect dog for a loving home.

There are goofier photos of Costello (ID# A717466), but they don’t show his shiny coat and full body. He may look like just a dog in this picture, but you ought to see his wacky side! He’s playful as can be and loves to roll around on the cot in the play yard, always with a daffy look on his face and toy in his mouth or near his paws. He’s nonreactive to other dogs, but cats — well, we don’t recommend them as companions! Costello is just 2 years old as well and would be happy in a home with someone who loves to play with a doggie and, of course, with a treasure chest of toys.

Want a dog who might be smarter than you? Then adopt Lightning (ID#A724360), a Belgian Malinois who at 10 months old needs some savvy training to channel all that intelligence! Malinois are work dogs, and they thrive when they have something to do. Volunteers think he’d be a good service dog. He walks well on a leash and knows several commands. He’s playful but loves petting and relaxing as well Someone familiar with his breed will find Lightning to be an interesting dog.

Magnus (ID#A721669) is having his own party at Long Beach Animal Care Services as he digs for his toy in the doggie pool. What a character! He’d be delighted to go home with someone as a foster or a forever, especially if there’s a pool in the yard. Video courtesy of LBACS volunteers

Tail-waggin’ and nose-boopin’ events

LBACS and CAMP low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics

Our city shelter, Long Beach Animal Care Services, has teamed up with CAMP (Community Animal Medicine Project) to bring weekly affordable vaccine clinics to pet parents. Visit CAMP’s website for a full list of vaccines and wellness treatments offered at each clinic. The shots include rabies inoculations, a requirement for all dogs and cats four months or older as stated in Long Beach Municipal Code 6.12.110. The clinics also offer microchips, which are essential for identification if your pet should run off or become lost, particularly during the July 4 season. Clinics open to the first 60 pets, no appointment necessary. All are welcome, whether you’re within or outside of the shelter’s contract cities. Remember to have your dog on a strong leash and your cat in a carrier, and please bring your pet’s vaccine records.

Access this link for dates, locations and times for LBACS clinics. No clinics Labor Day, Sept. 2. Additional clinics will take place at one of the city’s contract cities, Signal Hill, at the Signal Hill Public Library parking lot, 1800 E. Hill St., Signal Hill, on Saturday, August 17, 8 a.m.–noon.

Benny the Cat’s seventh birthday party fundraiser

You are invited to a party to celebrate the good life of a good kitty! Benny might not have had any life at all if he hadn’t been rescued — he was horribly abused as a kitten and nearly died from injuries that his owners left him with. Today, he’s living the life that any cat would envy. Nonprofit cat rescue Helen Sanders CatPaws is once more putting on a family-friendly fundraiser in Benny’s honor. The party will help give every cat a happy-ever-after and also raise awareness of domestic abuse. Attendees can enjoy a vendor fair, games and prizes, arts and crafts, face painting, a raffle, and of course, birthday cake! Lunch is included, too! You’ll meet adorable, adoptable kittens, who, like Benny, are hoping to find their own loving families. The shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services will bring their Adoption Waggin’, and partygoers can tour CatPAWS’ spay/neuter mobile clinic, which the party will also help fund. All funds will go to CatPAWS. Of course, Benny will be there! Hope you will be, too!

Benny’s Birthday Party will take place Saturday, Aug. 24, 11 p.m.–3 p.m. at Marina Community Center, 151 Marina Drive, Seal Beach. Tickets are $20, free for kids 10 and under. Buy tickets here or at the door.

Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the comments section.

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