With temperatures and humidity rising, pet health and safetyshould be at the forefront of animal owners’ minds, localveterinarians say.

Dogs, cats and other pets need to be provided for when theweather starts to warm up. And while the process is simple, vetsare reminding pet owners it does not need to be neglected.

Dr. Greg Howell of the Animal Medical Center said keeping petshealthy and cool begins with simply having enough fresh wateraccessible for them to drink.

“Have plenty of fresh water, and monitor it more closely in thesummertime,” he said. “The other issue, especially in animals thatstay out all the time, is their water consumption goes up and theirfood consumption goes down.”

Dr. Bob Watson of Brookhaven Animal Hospital said one good ideafor keeping dogs cool and hydrated at the same time is to get thema plastic kiddy pool to play and soak in, as well as to drink.Still, he said, fresh water that is changed daily is a must.

“Some dogs outside may spill their water bowls, so make surethey have access to water at all times,” he said. “A kiddy poolmight make a big mess, but if they can get into a pool of waterthey can keep cool.”

Nursing puppies are especially at a risk since dogs do notsweat. They aerate their systems by panting, and nursing andpanting are not exactly easy to do at the same time, Watsonsaid.

Another problem pets face, ironically, is that of living inair-conditioned environments. While it makes their lives easierwhile they’re inside, owners should monitor their pets during walksor playtime on a hot day.

“Typically your pets that are indoor/outdoor pets, they getacclimated to the air conditioner and then it’s a shock on theirsystem to expect them to go out midday and act normal. So thereshould be some safeguards in place,” Howell said. “You might wantto try exercising them early in the morning, and having playtimelate in the afternoon, and even then, cut that time in half.”

Even when playtime is commuted to the cooler parts of the day,owners must remember pets always have a fur coat on, and the onlyway they can cool themselves is by panting. Thus, even coolertemperatures in the summer can be too hot for a dog.

“Early morning joggers want to get out to run and their pet willrun with them, but they need to be careful because even though it’sstill early and cooler, it can be dangerous for them then as well,”Howell said.

Watson said the breed of dog can also make a difference in howmuch time they should spend outdoors. Some dogs that are now commonhousehold pets were actually bred to live in much coldertemperatures.

“There are double-coated breeds, like chows and huskies -animals that were never meant to be in this area – they have athick undercoat that’s there for insulation,” he said. “Most otherbreeds that aren’t double-coated, the coat actually helps a littlein that it also keeps them from direct sunlight.”

If pets stay outdoors, the right kind of accommodations are amust, Howell said. Many dog owners are not aware that some doghouses are made to keep pets warm during cold weather.

“Movement of air is important,” he said. “If they’re chained orin a pen with a dog house, if the house can be vented, do. And it’snot a bad idea to put up artificial shade if they don’t have any,and make sure there’s air flow.”

And speaking of air flow, Howell said, cars are a serious issuefor pets, especially with the cost of fuel as high as it is.

“Don’t leave your dog in your vehicle unless you leave itrunning,” Howell said. “I know with the price of gas, people aregoing to want to cut the air off, but if you’re going to leave thedog in there, you should leave the air on. They’ll overheat in amatter of minutes.”

Dog owners are warned to watch their pets for signs of heatstroke in the summer. Howell said if a dog is exhibiting excessivepanting and salivation and seems listless or weak, he should betaken to the vet’s office immediately.

“We see it all the time,” he said. “You’ll have a dog left inthe car while they run into Wal-Mart for five minutes, but itdoesn’t take long.”

And with cars at more of a risk for overheating and boilingover, Watson said, it’s important to know where your dog is andwhat he could be getting into.

“Remember antifreeze is extremely toxic to them, that does occurin the hot temperatures,” he said. “It’s always worthwhile on hotdays to remember if your car runs hot and boils over.”

Watson also warned against working hunting dogs too hard in thelatter part of the summer.

“We tend to see a lot of dogs for overheating that have been outretrieving doves after labor day, when people are taking themhunting and working them out. Be very careful if you’re doingthat,” he said.

Summer is also an important time to make sure your pets areprotected against fleas and ticks. Veterinarians warn that manyover-the-counter flea and tick treatments can be dangerous toanimals if used incorrectly. Howell said the best bet is to contacta vet for flea control information.