A leading Noosa vet has urged pet owners to ensure their animals are vaccinated and and to take precautions against extreme heat.
Dr Elizabeth Doolan, veterinary director at Tewantin Vets, told Noosa Today: “We advise owners to ensure their pets are kept cool and up to date with tick prevention. Also to make sure they are up to date with vaccinations as many pet owners go on holidays and may need to use boarding facilities.”
“This time of year we advise owners to make sure they have plans for their pets in case of extreme weather events including – storms, flooding and bushfires.”
“Owners should also make sure their pet’s microchip details, including contact numbers, are current in case they are scared and run away in a storm.”
“Owners need to make sure their pets have an abundant supply of fresh clean water available at all times.”
“They should also ensure there is plenty of shade and cool places for their pets to access. They should also take care to only exercise their pets when it is cool – early morning and late afternoon or evening, no walks for dogs in the middle of the day.”
“Owners of elderly pets and certain breeds (those with short muzzles – bulldogs and pugs for example) need to be extra careful.”
Dr Doolan also warned about ticks: “Dogs and cats need to be on tick prevention year around not just in summer.”
“There are a number of very reliable products to prevent ticks. For dogs the most convenient is yearly injection for ticks and fleas or there are three month and one month oral chewable products available.”
“For cats there are a number of spot-on products that can be used. Owners should make sure their pets are up to date and also ensure they do a daily tick search on their pet.”
Pet insurance provider Petsy is urging owners to prepare now, saying too many pet emergencies each summer are preventable with simple, proactive planning.
An estimated 6200 snake-bite incidents are expected for Australia’s dogs every year. The majority of these bites occur in the summer, with approximately 84 per cent of cases linked to the warmest months of the year.
As snakes seek shelter in shaded gardens and under backyard debris, our pets are often the first to stumble upon them.
Petsy’s Monica Limanto recommends keeping lawns short and clearing away wood piles or other debris to lessen areas that may attract snakes. “Snakes are most active at dawn and dusk when they are seeking food or looking to breed, by restricting you pets access to long grass or bushy areas during these hours you can reduce risk of a bite.”
Paralysis ticks are another deadly threat with the peak exposure times typically witnessed in the warmer weather after wet periods.
Australians are being urged to be tick alert with experts warning that the 2025 summer could be another horror season with 5,000 tick-related vet visits expected and sadly one in 10 of those pets dying.
