Living in a New York apartment, in a private house, usually comes with some strict regulations from neat freak landlords, which isn’t a good thing for an animal loving family like mine. Having moved around a lot as a youngster, I often heard, a landlord’s favorite line, “No dogs allowed!” But we needed something to fill the gap in our pet-less home and our empty laps, so we became the proud lovers of the small pet population, full of Guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and rabbits.
As American society becomes more work orientated, guardians often think that changing the water, throwing some food in a bowl, and a quick stroke is all these little guys need to stay healthy. What most people don’t know is that these smaller, cuter critters come with a great deal of responsibility and need quite a bit of attention, especially during the summer months.
With energy costs soaring through the roof and a loud outcry for the public to conserve electricity, most people leave their air-conditioners off during the day. Although opening windows creates some circulation and is good for your pets, the sun can almost create a greenhouse effect in any apartment. So here are some quick and effective ways to keep your pet from overheating while you’re going about your day at the office.
Heat Wave Precautions for Small Pets
The first thing you want to do with your beady-eyed fur ball is make sure it has a highly ventilated home, that’s not in an aquarium type tank. Be sure to buy a living enclosure that’s fencing is small enough to keep your rodent from sneakily escaping. Make sure your pet is placed in the coolest room in the house and avoid any spots where it may encounter direct sunlight.
Since most of these smaller pets have a minimal amount of sweat glands, the key is hydration, hydration, hydration! If you thought your pooch was stubborn, these rodents won’t drink the water if it gets too warm! Petco recommends keeping a number of water bottles and bowls filled with water in the animal’s living quarter and replenishing them with fresh cool water at least once a day. Make sure your pet also has a heavy, gnaw-proof bowl to keep it from tipping over its food.
If it’s going to be over 80 degrees and the humidity is high during the day, Petco recommends hanging a damp washcloth or towel on one side of the your pet’s habitat, while having a fan blow on it. As the fan’s generated air penetrates the towel, it will create a cool breeze-like effect. Petco also recommends filling plastic bags with water (small bags for gerbils and hamsters; larger bags for guinea pigs and rabbits) and placing them in the corners of your pet’s habitat so they can lean on or lie close to it. Exercise and play should also be kept to a minimum and should only be allowed during early morning and evening hours, when the temperature is much cooler.
How to Help an Overheated Pet
Although, symptoms vary from rodent to rodent, most of the symptoms are the same, and can be detected almost immediately. The primary signs that your small pet may be dehydrated and overheated are heavy panting, minimal reaction and exhaustion. Rabbits may also stretch out and lie still with their eyes half closed and their ears will become extremely warm. Guinea pigs, on the other hand, are prone to becoming overheated, and may also begin wheezing and sneezing, and suffer from a runny and itchy nose.
If you notice any of these signs in your rodents, take the animal to the coolest place in the house. Take a washcloth, wet it with cool, NOT COLD, water (cold water can make your loving fur ball’s body go into shock) and wrap its body up. A rabbit’s ears are also their form of air-conditioning, so the fastest way to cool off a rabbit is to wrap the cool washcloth around the rabbit’s ears. If the rabbit’s symptoms don’t get better within 5 to 10 minutes, lightly begin to rub the rabbit’s fur with cool water. If this doesn’t work, or you notice your pet has collapsed, is dazed, or worst case, goes into seizures, seek emergency veterinary care immediately, since these are all very grave signs.
Living in a New York apartment with my first rabbit, after having six guinea pigs and three hamsters throughout my life, I have to admit, they are great to take care of and are as loving as any dog or cat. But just like with any other pet pal, precautions are key to keeping it happy and healthy during any season.
For more information about how to keep your pet rodents and rabbits safe and cool this summer go to www.petco.com.
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