Are you considering a summer relocation? If you’re moving to a new home, there are plenty of reasons why this is not such a bad idea. After all, any kind of physical labor is easier when it’s not freezing outside. And even if you hire a moving company to do it for you, there’s a lesser chance of road blockages or other issues.

However, as with most things — there’s a flip side to such a decision as well. For instance, keeping your pets safe during a summer move is not as easy as you might think. Depending on where you are, the summer months can mean extreme heat; not to mention the dangerously high humidity. Don’t worry, though. We’ve got tips on keeping your pets safe in such a situation right here!

Parked Cars

When you start the preparation in case you are moving far away, you’ve certainly got quite a few things to do. Indeed, becoming forgetful is easier than ever when you’ve got to plan a big summer move.

That’s why we’re going to remind you of something right away — you must remember not to leave your pets inside a parked car alone! And we mean it; even if it’s just a minute. Don’t count on the air conditioning being on and the car still running. If it’s particularly warm outside, you won’t believe how high the temperature within your car can go.

Avoid Too Much Exercise

Naturally, most pets need their exercise — they weren’t made to sit around in front of the TV, after all. However, when it’s too hot outside, you need to limit their exposure to the heat. So, make sure that you adjust the length and intensity of their workouts according to how high the temperatures are.

Be particularly mindful of this on moving day. Even if you hire a moving company like Vision Movers FL to do the job, you’re still likely to spend a lot of your day outside helping them out and supervising the proceedings. In all of that micromanagement, losing track of keeping your pets safe is not unimaginable. Still, you need to be certain that they’re not spending too much time out in the heat and sun.

That’s true for their exercise during the summer months in general as well. You’d be smart to limit the pets’ workouts to evening or early morning hours, when it’s not too hot outside. If you forgo doing this, there are all sorts of problems that can arise; from breathing difficulties to burns from hot asphalt. Plus, you need to have some water on you at all times, in case your pet gets too thirsty. You don’t want them dehydrated, after all.

Fans Aren’t a Certainty

When you make your plan for keeping your pets safe during a summer move, there are all sorts of things that you need to think about. Among other things, you have to remember that pets don’t respond to warm weather the same way we do. For instance — dogs do most of their sweating on their feet. So, cooling fans won’t necessarily be as effective at giving them relief as they would for us.

Keep to the Shade

While your pets spend time outside — you need to be certain that they’re spending as much time in the shade as humanly (pun intended) possible. As we’ve already said, you want to have a bottle of water with you the whole time you’re outside with them. If a particularly nasty heat wave hits your area, drop some ice cubes into the water as well.

Still, you need to keep to tarps and tree shades. These are better for pets than staying inside because they’ll have a freer air flow. Confined spaces will actually make the situation worse instead of providing shelter. Remember, plenty of dog breeds have chronic breathing issues.

Keep Them Cool

As you can see, most of our tips for keeping your pets safe during a summer move are related to an effort to keep them as cool as possible. There are plenty of ways you can do that. For instance, there are cooling mats and body wraps that are specifically made for dogs. If you put them in icy water, they’ll dry up but remain cool for a few days. So, if your pups don’t like bathing too much, they’ll still be able to cool off.

Heatstroke Treatment

Unfortunately, no matter what you do — your pet may still suffer from a potentially dangerous heatstroke. In that situation, you need to relocate them to an area with air conditioning or into the nearest shade as soon as possible. Use some cold towels or ice packs to cool them off immediately. Also, give them a little cold water to help them get better, or let them lick a couple of ice cubes. Once the initial danger passes, take the pet to see a veterinarian ASAP. You don’t want to dilly-dally with this. While you can provide them with immediate relief, they still need to receive a diagnosis and treatment from professionals.

Plan Beforehand

Speaking of veterinarians — unfortunately, there’s no telling when your pet will become ill, especially in unpredictable summer months. So, before you relocate to a new home, check out the area and find a veterinarian in the immediate vicinity. This will allow you to act quickly and in a timely manner if your pet suffers an unfortunate accident or illness during the relocation itself. While this may seem like a huge precaution, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!