Your Guide to Summer Comfort for Senior Pets

Older pets regulate temperature about as well as a window unit from 1984. Their systems just doesn't bounce back the way it used to, which means a warm afternoon that a puppy can easily shrug off can knock your senior pal flat on his furry butt. Keep them inside during peak heat and don’t fall for the stink eye as they watch you from the window.

Dehydration sneaks up fast on seniors, so make hydration ridiculously easy. Put out extra bowls, add a splash of water to their food and consider a pet fountain if your cat treats still water like it's beneath her. Frozen treats that are mostly water, like a broth ice cube or a wedge of watermelon, sneak in extra hydration while they think they're pulling one over on you.

The dawn or dusk patrol shuffle beats the noon power walk every time. Let them stop and sniff every mailbox, hydrant and suspicious blade of grass for as long as they like, so they can catch up on the neighborhood gossip. Keep an eye on their body language too, because a slowing pace or lagging behind is your cue to head home.

Summer scrambles a senior's routine, and the pacing, panting or midday accidents that follow are symptoms, not sass. Heat wrecks appetite, disrupts sleep and sends an aging bladder into overtime, so meet it with cool spots, easy water access and a lot of grace. They're not being stubborn (well, maybe a little); they’re doing their best to ride out the season.

Turns out your pink-nosed, thin-coated senior can fry like a tourist who fell asleep poolside. Noses, ear tips and bellies are the usual casualties, so dab pet-safe sunscreen on the exposed bits and steer clear of anything with zinc oxide, which is toxic once they lick it off. Or skip the whole circus and let them nap in the shade like the retired professional they are.

A senior who's semi-retired from grooming and strolls at a leisurely half-mph makes for an easy mark. Stay current on preventives and give them a good once-over after outdoor time, since ticks love to tuck into the spots nobody checks. And keep the heartworm meds going year-round, because a mosquito bite is a lousy way to undo a good retirement.

Give them a cool surface to sprawl on and you've basically installed central air for your furry friend. Tile, a cooling mat or a damp towel on the kitchen floor pulls heat off aging joints and thick coats. Set one up near their water and you've built the senior equivalent of a beach cabana.

Fewer laps around the yard plus the same heaping dinner bowl equals rounder pet by Labor Day. That extra padding leans on tired joints and turns a warm afternoon into a personal sauna, so trim the portions to match the new leisurely lifestyle. A leaner senior moves easier and beats the heat better.

A matted coat traps heat like a shag carpet, so regular brushing keeps them cooler and comfier. Resist the urge to shave double-coated breeds though, since that coat actually insulates against heat and guards against sunburn. Stick to a good de-shedding session instead.

Excessive panting, drooling, wobbliness or bright red gums mean stop everything and cool them down. Heatstroke moves quickly in older animals, and a call to your vet is never an overreaction. When in doubt, make the call and let the professionals decide if you’re being a hysterical pet parent (which is perfectly acceptable in our books).