Summer is such a great time. Swimming, barbecues, baseball and family fun. It’s also time to make sure your dog has all the necessary preventatives to enjoy the sun and warm weather.

Those nasty fleas and ticks can be most annoying and are easily prevented with a topical application of preventative, special chewable tablets or medicated shampoos. If your dog has fleas, it can easily create a multitude of problems such as skin irritation, hair loss and can even prove deadly for newborn puppies. Those blood-sucking ticks are also just waiting to pounce on your dog so visit with your vet about the best treatment options.

The deadly heartworm is carried through mosquitoes. Heartworms are easily prevented with a once-a-month heartworm tablet. Make sure you have your dog tested for heartworms before beginning any type of treatment. Nothing irritates me more than when a dog comes into our program that tested positive for the disease. It’s a horrible death for an untreated dog and so preventable. We keep all of our dogs on year-round treatment.

Always have plenty of shade and water for your dogs when they are outside. Try to keep the water out of direct sunlight so it doesn’t get too hot. I’m always shocked to see dogs on chains, out in the sun with no water! What in the world are these people thinking when they leave their dogs out in such extreme conditions?

If your dog has really long hair, you might consider shaving it down for the summer. You pet will thank you for it. That coat will begin to grow back before the harsh winter sets in.

Runners who take their dogs with them should schedule running times early in the morning or late in the evening when the weather has cooled off a bit.

We have small swimming pools for our dogs and drag those out of the shed once every couple of weeks. Most of the dogs love them, but beware — they will make a huge mess with all that splashing. Change the water frequently, because it gets dirty and hot.

Some friends of mine make frozen treats for their dogs. Get a large bowl, fill it with water and put small dog treats in. Then freeze it until solid and set it outside to entertain them and help keep them cool.

Summer can be a wonderful and fun time. Just make sure you are prepared so that both you and your dog can enjoy it to the fullest.