Dogs, cats need special care in summer
Q: Are there any special precautions or advice for helping dogs and cats deal with summer heat?
A: Here are a few tips on keeping your dog or cat deal with the heat and some of the other problems that come with summer:
Keep a fresh water supply available. Keep it in the shade so it doesn’t get hot. Keep a fresh water supply available. Some dogs like to lick and chew ice when temperature is hot. There are also frozen treats.
Do not leave your pet in a parked car – even with the windows cracked. The temperature can become dangerously high within minutes.
If your dogs are outdoors, make sure that they have a shaded, wellventilated place to get out of the sun’s harmful rays. Place doghouses in the shade. ( Cats are better kept indoors year-round for their health and safety as well as to protect songbirds and wildlife.)
Limit strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day. Take walks in the morning or evening. Bring your dog inside to the air-conditioning if it seems too hot. Dogs with short snouts such as Pugs, English bulldogs and Pekineses are especially vulnerable to the heat.
Overweight dogs, old dogs and dogs with current or chronic pulmonary conditions are especially susceptible to heat stroke. Dog breeds with thick, heavy coats are also more susceptible to heat than similar breeds with short hair. Consider giving them a summer haircut.
Avoid prolonged contact with asphalt or concrete. These surfaces may burn paw pads.
Fleas and ticks are more active during the summer months and can cause health problems. Talk to your veterinarian about how to keep these from infesting your pet.
Mosquitoes spread heartworms. Consult with your vet about heartworm preventatives. Change the water in your pet’s dish daily. This helps ensure that it remains clean and prevents mosquitoes from breeding in it.
Spay or neuter your pet. This keeps animals closer to home and helps them avoid potential life-threatening situations, decreases their dis- ease susceptibility and improves their overall health.
Q: I heard that placing a ripe banana under the roots of rose bush when it is planted would help the rose grow. Is this true?
A: A ripe banana under the roots of a rose may have some very minor beneficial effects in that it adds organic matter to the soil and a tiny about of nutrients. However, these small benefits do not war- rant burying bananas or banana peels as a generally recommended horticultural practice. Organic matter and nutrients can be more efficiently and effectively added to the soil by using compost or finely ground pine bark mulch.
Q: I saw some strange cucumbers at the farmers market called Suyo Long. How are they used?
A: Suyo Long is a slender, ribbed cucumber with a dark green skin with a bumpy surface that can grow to be 15 to 18 inches long. It can be eaten when young or more mature. It is good for fresh eating or using in bread-and-butter pickles or quick pickles. Those grown on a trellis may be straighter than those grown on the ground. Give one or two a try.
Your children may enjoy the novelty of these unusual cukes as well as their mild taste.