Summer in New Brunswick means longer days, backyard cookouts, trail hikes, and more time outdoors with your pets. It also brings a unique set of health risks that every pet owner should be ready for — from the heat rising inside a parked car to ticks hiding in long grass to the corn cob your dog inhaled off the picnic table.
Summer pet safety tips aren’t just good to know — for some emergencies, knowing them ahead of time is the difference between a quick recovery and a critical situation.
This guide covers the 10 most important summer pet safety risks, what signs to watch for, and when it’s time to seek urgent veterinary care in Fredericton.
1. Know the Signs of Heat Stroke in Pets
Heat stroke in pets can escalate in minutes. Dogs don’t sweat like humans — they rely on panting, which is far less efficient. On a 22°C day, the interior of a parked car can reach 47°C within an hour.
Signs of heat stroke include:
- Heavy, labored panting that won’t slow down
- Pale, white, or dry gums — check by pressing a finger on the gum and watching the color return
- Disorientation, stumbling, or collapse
- Vomiting or bloody diarrhea
- What to do: Move your pet to a cool space, apply cool (not ice-cold) water to their paw pads, groin, and neck. Get to a vet immediately — don’t wait to see if they improve.
2. Never Leave Your Pet in a Parked Car
Even with windows cracked, a car in summer heat becomes a dangerous oven within minutes. This is one of the most preventable summer emergencies. If your pet can’t come with you, leave them at home.
3. Check for Ticks After Every Outing
Blacklegged ticks that carry Lyme disease are well established in New Brunswick. After every walk or outdoor adventure, check your pet carefully:
- Around and inside the ears
- Between the toes and paw pads
- Under the collar, in the groin, and armpits
- Around the tail base
Use a dedicated tick removal tool — not regular tweezers — and pull straight and steady. Keep your pet on a monthly tick preventative throughout tick season.
4. Watch for Seasonal Allergies
Pet allergies in summer often look different from what we expect. Instead of sneezing, dogs itch. Paw licking, ear infections, and red, irritated skin are all signs that environmental allergens — grass pollen, mould, dust — are affecting your pet. If symptoms escalate, book a vet assessment before it turns into a skin infection.
5. Protect Paws from Hot Pavement
If the pavement is too hot for the back of your hand to rest on for five seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws. Stick to early morning or evening walks during heat waves, and check paw pads regularly for redness or blistering.
6. Know What BBQ Foods Are Dangerous
Summer gatherings bring out the food — and dogs who will eat anything. The most dangerous BBQ hazards for pets include:
- Corn cobs — cannot be digested; they frequently cause intestinal blockages requiring surgery
- Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, even in small amounts
- Onions and garlic — toxic to both dogs and cats in any form
- Alcohol — zero tolerance in pets; even small amounts are toxic
- Skewers and cooked bones — splintering hazards
7. Be Prepared for Hot Spots
Hot spots (acute moist dermatitis) are one of the most common summer skin problems in dogs. They appear quickly — often overnight — as red, moist, painful patches of skin, usually triggered by moisture trapped in the coat after swimming, or by allergies and flea bites. Shave the area, keep it dry, and see a vet for antibiotics if it’s spreading.
8. Understand Outdoor Toxins When Camping or Hiking
New Brunswick trails and campgrounds come with natural hazards:
- Wild mushrooms — impossible to safely identify in the field; treat any ingestion as an emergency
- Blue-green algae — in warm, still water; can cause liver failure after just a swim
- Water hemlock — found near water sources; one of the most toxic plants in North America. Before any camping trip, look up the nearest emergency vet. Save the number before you leave the city.
9. Know What to Do for Eye Emergencies
Pet eye emergencies peak in summer due to grass seeds, foxtails, pool water, and outdoor debris. Squinting, cloudiness, redness, or a bulging eye are all same-day concerns — not a wait-and-see situation. Permanent vision loss can occur within hours of an untreated eye injury.
10. Save Vet’s Number Before You Need It
The single most effective summer pet safety tip is preparation. Put two numbers in your phone right now:
- Your closest veterinary clinic or urgent care
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 1-888-426-4435 (available 24/7; consultation fee may apply)
Summer pet safety comes down to awareness and preparation. Most of the emergencies that bring pets into urgent care in summer — heat stroke, BBQ poisonings, tick bites, hot spots — are preventable with the right knowledge. When something does go wrong, fast action makes all the difference.
Stay tuned for a helpful new post every week this season, covering each of these topics in depth.
Ready for summer?
We`re open 12pm–12am, 7 days a week. Call 506-777-1235 for same-day vet care in Fredericton.