As it gets warmer outside, we start to enjoy more outdoor activities, and our indoor pets are also allowed more outdoor playtime. While our pets are outside, there are several things that can put them in danger.

Beestings can be Life Threatening for Humans and their Pets

We all know that when we get bee stung it hurts. We cry out in pain and so do our pets when they get stung. Usually your pet will lick the area where they were stung, and they have minimal swelling and complications. Occasionally the animal will be stung in the mouth or throat and the minor swelling could be enough to cause serious complications. Your pet can also get symptoms like diarrhea, trouble breathing, become unsteady, or develop pale colored gums after a sting. These symptoms suggest that the pet is going into anaphylactic shock and needs to be treated by a veterinarian.

Snakebites

You may have heard people say that snakebites do not affect dogs, but if you live in areas where there are large number of venomous snakes you should be concerned about Fido. A snakebite is painful and when a venomous snake bites a dog, they can have been swelling in their airways as a result of the poison, and they can have blood clotting problems, organ failure, or go into shock. People who live in areas with large numbers of rattlesnakes can take their pet to get a rattlesnake vaccine.

Getting your pet a rattlesnake vaccine will lessen the severity of a snakebite from one of these vipers, but it is not a substitute for veterinarian care in the event of a bite.

Mosquitos

Mosquitos bite your pets just like they bite you, but for your pets mosquitos can be the cause of heartworms, and heartworms could be fatal. You can get heartworm prevention medicine for your dog to take to help keep them safe. This medicine is available from your veterinarian. Your animal will have to be checked to make sure they do not have heartworms before they begin the preventive medication.

Running Free

We all like to let our pets off the leash every now and then. When we go out into the woods, or to areas where animals can be unrestrained we think that we are giving the animal a treat by letting them run free. The animals do seem to enjoy the freedom, but they also are at risk while they are away from your side.

Many house pets do not know how to behave when they encounter a wild animal and this lack of social skills could cause them to be injured.

The animals may fall down deep ravines and into bodies of water and not all animals can swim good enough to save their lives, especially if they are not used to being around large bodies of water.

Your pet can get lost easily in unfamiliar territory so be sure that they have to identify collars on and that you put bright colored collars on them, so they are highly visible.