My wife and I disagree about fall – I love it, she sees it as the end of the world. We also disagree about bacon (She’s a vegetarian). I think fall is a time of quiet introspection as the sun-drenched frenetics of summer are left behind. She sees it as the beginning of winter, where the world is encased in a glassy ice envelope and life stops until spring. We won’t resolve that dispute here today!
One thing that’s for sure – fall can have an effect on your pets, just like it can on you. As the weather cools and the days grow shorter (giving you more evening hours to curl up by the fire with a good book!), here are some things that can be happening to your pets that you should be aware of.
- Appetite: As your dog is less active, you will need to feed fewer calories to keep the same weight. With more pets suffering from obesity (just as with people), maintaining a stable weight is important. Back off on the kibbles (and watch the treats, or switch to low-calorie treats) to keep your pet svelte.
- Allergies: We’ve written lots about allergies and pets, before. Allergies to pollens and dust are a huge cause of itchy pets. Food allergies and parasites (like fleas) round out the top three culprits of itchy pets. Things can bloom in fall that drive your pets wild with itching, so don’t think spring is the only time for doggy hay fever! See your veterinarian or a veterinary dermatologist for severe cases.
- Parasites: The cooler weather in fall has some folks coming out of their air-conditioned houses to go exploring. Nature is sitting there, waiting to hop aboard and start sucking blood! Make sure your pets are protected from fleas and ticks with SENTRY Fiproguard, the flea and tick fighter, before venturing out.
- Activity: Maybe your idea of the perfect summer activity is Jet-Skiing with your dog while playing electric guitar and juggling flaming chainsaws, but now it’s fall and time to calm down a bit. Maybe lose the chainsaws. In any case, you are probably not going to be as active with your pets during this season, and they might miss the fun and company of summer. Make sure you spend time with them and let them know there’s still a lot of love. For those that may have trouble with the seasons and changing activity levels, there’s SENTRY Calming Spray and Collars. They contain the same chemical messengers that mother dogs use to calm their pups. SENTRY has scientifically isolated them and placed them in a collar to reduce stress and fear in dogs and cats.
No matter how you feel about fall (calm and satisfying vs. chilly prelude to ‘Icemageddon’), your pets will thank you if you take note of the changing of the seasons and make plans to keep them happy and protected. Now…about that bacon…