Get Ready For Spring To Get Sprung: Tips To Get Your Dog Ready For Warmer Weather

One thing is true – our dogs love us, rain or shine. With the beginning of spring rapidly approaching, it’s time to get out and reciprocate that love and let those puppies enjoy it! Here are some of our recommendations to get you and your doggo ready to roll into spring!

• TIME TO VISIT THE VET! This is an excellent time of year to get those annual exams out of the way. Make sure to discuss your dog’s lifestyle with your veterinarian so that they can make the best recommendations for vaccinations and procedures to keep your fella healthy, no matter where you go. Core vaccines protect him from diseases like rabies, parvovirus, and distemper, but your dog may also need protection from bordetella, canine influenza, leptospirosis, and lyme disease depending on where he spends his leisure time. It’s also a good idea for Fido to undergo a heartworm test. Once you know he’s negative, you may stock up on preventative medications, many of which will also protect him from fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites. No preventative can protect him from intestinal cooties like giardia, so make sure to get those poos checked, too!
• LET’S GET GROOMED! Time outdoors can be rough on FiFi’s skin, coat, ears, and nails. Using dog-safe shampoos and conditioners will get the mud and ick she accumulates outside out of her fur. Regular attention to her ears and nails will prevent issues with bacterial infection and sore feet. And no pupper wants to hit the trail with mats in her armpits…make sure her coat is trimmed and ready for warm weather!
• IS IT EVEN SPRING? WAIT, THERE IT IS! We all know that spring weather and temperatures can fluctuate greatly from day to day and hour to hour, especially in NEO. Having a towel handy and drying your best friend off after a run through the pop-up showers helps him regulate his body temperature more effectively. Be careful to avoid leaving him in the car if you need to make a pit stop on the way home; 70 degree temps outside means that the interior of a car can reach 100 degrees in just 10 minutes!
• WHERE TO GO? WHAT TO DO? We are truly blessed to have an abundance of well-maintained parks and recreation areas. Check out Cleveland and Summit County area metroparks. Visit a trail you’ve never been to (My dog loves O’Neill Woods!) or a branch you’ve never explored. Visit our buddies at www.dogsinthecle.com and www.bringfido.com, where they maintain and update all of the best destinations for you and your dog.
• PACK HIS BAGS! Most dogs like to have a bit of a job to do, especially when going into the great wide open! We love www.chewy.com, where you can find all of the gear your dog needs to hit the road, like a backpack he can wear to carry his own portable dishes, poop bags, treats, and all the other stuff he can’t live without.

We hope this helps get you and your main squeeze ready for sun and fun, woods and water, or where ever your adventures take you!