071- Dog Days of Summer
Summary:
Summer is on and so is the HEAT! Join us as we discuss how to make sure you AND the dogs you’re caring for are ready for summer. From signs of heat exhaustion in both humans and dogs, to things to have on hand to treat it, we cover it. Summer time is also a time for fireworks, so what are some of the best practices for caring for pets afraid of loud noises? On our “Ask a Pet Business Coach” segment, Natasha O’Banion answers the question, “How do I balance the new services I added during lockdown with the increasing demand for my original services?”
Topics on this episode:
THANK YOU for listening and helping to grow this community
Heat exhaustion in humans and dogs
Treating heat exhaustion
Planning for emergencies in summer
Having alternate activities and routes
Fireworks
Ask a pet business coach with Natasha O’Banion
Main takeaway? Stay hydrated and plan for those heat emergencies!
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
dog, pet, walk, pet sitter, heat exhaustion, owner, starting, temperatures, fireworks, water, loud noises, hot, services, business, people, summer, boxer, check, conversation, day
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin, Natasha
00:17
I'm calling and I'm Megan. And this is
Meghan 00:20
pet sitter confessional, an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode. We appreciate you taking the time to listen. And if this is your first time listening to an episode welcome.
Collin 00:39
We've seen a huge jump in numbers and followers and listeners recently and we just are so thankful and on that we've been having the show for going on nine months at this point and I just want to throw out that in that time. We are so thankful and humbled to have had over 7000 people listen to our public podcasts and listen to the show and the interviews. And it is all because of you and the stories that you're sharing and the interactions that you are bringing to the show that are helping so many people and bringing that community closer together.
Meghan 01:15
And so this is Episode 71. So we have a whole catalogue of various episodes from interviews to topical shows. We talked a lot about COVID in the past few months, so you feel free to go back and listen to any of those and subscribe in the podcast player of your choice.
Collin 01:32
And if you ever have any questions, comments, concerns, criticisms or want to tell your story, send us an email at feedback at pet sitter confessional comm we love hearing from you.
Meghan 01:41
So let's dive into today's episode, which is all about summer.
Collin 01:45
Yes, it is June right now and we're barreling headlong into summer. And so we wanted to take this time to take a moment to think about precautions that we need to be taking as pet sitters, not just for the dogs, but also for ourselves.
Meghan 02:01
And so for our listeners in South Africa or in Australia, maybe you can listen to this in a few months, when your summer comes about, but here in the United States, it is getting pretty hot and toasty. And so we wanted to take this episode and remind everyone how we can as pet sitters take care of the pets that were caring for and take care of ourselves as well.
Collin 02:23
This really hit home recently because we were caring for a very young boxer named Tucker. And not only is he a boxer, so he has got all this energy but he's also had very bad separation anxiety. And one of the things that we usually like to do with the dogs that are in our care when they have that is to go outside and exercise them and get them worn out for those first couple days. That usually really helps them get into the groove because a happy pup is a tired pup. However, I wasn't really able to do that because his first few days with us, we had a heat index of over 100 degrees. And boxers are one of those dogs that because they've got that shortened nose cannot exchange heat very well. And so there was a very real concern of taking this already stressed out dog on even a very, very short walk even in the shade and possibly having him overheat. So instead, what we did with him was we played inside a lot, a lot, a lot. And it ended up being working out just fine, but it was something that we had to check. So when we think about things that we can be doing right now, maybe you're not experiencing those high temperatures, or maybe you already are, but what are some things we can be doing as pet sitters right now to prepare for that?
Meghan 03:40
Well, I think checking the weather first and foremost is a good thing because if you're out walking dogs, you will need to know really any day of the year what it's going to be
Collin 03:48
right that's kind of the first no brainer step and paying really close attention to that that's so important because with temperatures the pavement can get excessively hot and the dogs should not be walking on. right if
Meghan 04:00
they say that if you cannot hold your hand down on the pavement for five seconds, then the dog should not be walking because it's too hot for their paws.
Collin 04:09
When thinking about the hot pavement issues, what kind of alternate routes or maybe alternate activities do you have on hand for the dogs that you're caring for if you're taking them on walks, or maybe you're doing daycares and you'd like to provide those kinds of services? Are there places where you can still walk the dog that's predominantly shade or places where you can walk them mostly on grass, or maybe just have other activities, you can take them and do with the dogs that aren't walking on that hot pavement.
Meghan 04:36
Also, considering whether you want to shorten the walk during this time. If you're doing a 30 minute drop in check in you usually use 25 minutes of that time to do a walk. Maybe shorten that and have that conversation with the client before that check of how long do you want me to walk your dog? The answer will depend on the breed. The answer will depend on how comfortable the owner is. How hot it is that day, it's going to depend on a lot of different situations. But having that conversation with the owner of AI as a dog walker, I'm only comfortable with walking your dog for, you know, a block for 10 minutes because it's so hot outside. And instead we will supplement with plain inside drinking lots of water, those kind of things.
Collin 05:23
And that may be a tough conversation the the owner may not understand the danger that their dog may be any let's say they have a dog that is an old boxer, both that short nose and being elderly, it's very susceptible to heat exhaustion very quickly, they might not understand that and so having to take that time to explain that to them and that you in your professional opinion are not okay with walking the dog in any sort of heat, and that you will instead do these other activities. Most clients are going to be okay with that. But be ready to have that conversation and explain what the alternatives are.
Meghan 05:59
Right. So she Short, snout dogs, pugs, boxers. Older pets, like we mentioned, even Persian cats that have a short face, overweight pets and pets that snore, like Bulldogs, all of those pets have a hard time regulating their body temperatures because the pathway from the air to the inside of their bodies is very short.
Collin 06:23
And part of this too, is understanding the medical history of the dog. So there's been some research that shows that if an animal has experienced a previous episode of heat exhaustion, that they are actually more susceptible to getting it a second time having that conversation with your client as to have they ever had this. When was that what was done? What was the severity? We'll help you and judging your comfort level as it gets hotter throughout the summer.
Meghan 06:53
And so what are some signs of heat exhaustion in you, the pet sitter
Collin 06:57
headaches are very common. clammy skin, starting to feel dizzy or nauseous, even getting heat cramps. These are all very early signs. And sometimes you may think, well, I've had a lot of water today. And this happened to me actually, just recently when that heat really spiked here in Missouri. I was drinking my enormous amount of water that I had been for the past couple months. But it was not enough for those several hot days that we were spending time outside. So even though in my mind, I had said, Well, I had all these bottles of water, I drink all this water today, it wasn't enough to keep up with the heat. So staying on top of your water consumption and ramping it up a lot, especially being outside in in the direct sun. But if you get to these points where you have these symptoms, what are some things you can do to help yourself get cooled down fast?
Meghan 07:50
Well, I know a lot of people will recommend sports drinks, so Gatorade to help replace the electrolytes and then removing any tight clothing that you have on so that you're body can kind of regulate and cool off. Also, having a fan nearby and some cool towels as well will help you. And I know this all kind of seems very rudimentary, very basic. Like we know these things we know you know, when we get overheated we know what we're supposed to do by drinking water and eating well, but as pet sitters, sometimes we just get too busy. And I know that a lot of people are starting to ramp back up now with their services. Some clients are starting to contact them again of whether they're needing daycares or dog walks during the day because they're getting back to work. And so we're starting, some of us are starting to get busy again. I know we are with our our daycares and our boarding. So reminding ourselves of these basic things of taking care of ourselves, and also taking care of the dogs as well and the signs of heat exhaustion looks pretty much the same in humans as it does with dogs for the most part,
Collin 08:56
right? You got excessive drooling or salivating Very red tongue and pale gums, heavy, excessive panting. As things progress, you're starting to see vomiting, they're getting lethargic, so they're wanting to lay down and not move around their legs are actually weak. And to treat this obviously you need to be having water on hand for the dog and again, offering it a lot while you're out walking the dog or the dogs or in your care even at your home where you know we do a lot of we do boarding and daycares in our house, providing more water spots, and replenishing them very frequently throughout the day. So getting them to lay on the laying on cold towels but not iced, and that's key for both us as the pet sitters and for our dogs. We never want to jump into an ice bath, so to speak, that would shock the body way too much and actually do more harm than good. So, you know, hosing down the dog after the walk, pouring cool water on the dog's ears or paws on their legs. A lot of dogs have big blood muscles that run through their legs. So putting cool water on that will help them thermo regulate a lot easier. And then getting a fan on them and having those around so they can help regulate their body temperatures easier,
Meghan 10:13
and monitoring their temperatures as well. A Dog's typical temperature is about one to 1.5. And so it's a good reminder to have a thermometer in your first aid kit in your car. Or if you're doing boarding at your home.
Collin 10:26
This is another way of being prepared of emergency preparedness. If you're out doing walks, group walks, what are your plans if a dog starts suffering from heat exhaustion in the middle of a walk?
Meghan 10:38
Right? What do you do with the other dogs? Right?
Collin 10:40
How are you going to work on that and hopefully ahead of time, you have planned out the route you know safe places you know where there are buildings where there are public areas where you can take the dogs into and start tending to them and getting them out of the heat. But in those moments where you're by yourself You've had all the dogs in a car and you go take them on a long hike, getting them back to the car as soon as possible getting them in AC and I would recommend that as we're going out on our own and we're doing a lot of this stuff in your car each day, have a cooler, filled with bags of ice and towels and lots of bottles of water so that you can cool them down quickly and have that on hand and you're not searching for that whenever you're out and about but not using the ice directly.
Meghan 11:28
This is also pretty basic but don't leave the dog in the car. Don't Don't do it. No. Well and if you are doing pack walks and doing having multiple dogs in your car, leave your car on leave the AC on. That is a must because with summer temperatures the car can get really super hot quick.
Collin 11:50
If you're doing drop ins or checks at houses, it can be easy to overlook. The cats that are in the area or the cats are taking care of in signs that it is suffering from heating Often if it's an outdoor cat, maybe an outdoor indoor cat, pay attention to the cat two and the signs of exhaustion are very similar, as in dogs, so heavy panting, being lethargic, also those very pale gums and red tongue, though taking an extra few minutes to check on the cats that are outside when you're doing drop ins. And if you're also taking care of maybe caged animals, so rabbits, birds, or guinea pig, ask the owners if they have a shade cloth that they use, and if they don't really recommend they get one especially as temperatures are creeping up. This will help the animals regulate their temperatures and cool them off quickly. In case things start to get too hot. You may also need to reposition the cage if it's in a window and getting too hot but have those conversations during the meet and greet or just after you've done it to save the animal to let the owners know that you've done that.
Meghan 12:51
Another part of summer particularly here in the United States, our fireworks we have a lot of them for our fourth of July holiday and some Pets are not okay with them. So we wanted to talk about what you do in those scenarios when you are watching a pet and they cannot handle the loud noises.
Collin 13:10
And I would say that even before you get in that situation, this is a question that we have during our meet and greets. Are they scared of fireworks loud noises or cars? And if they say yes, we ask them, okay, what do you do to handle that? And sometimes they'll just say, Oh, we just hold them close or Oh, we have this medication but there are there are other things you can do.
Meghan 13:35
Yeah, so keeping them inside while there are fireworks going on. There are lots of cases that we see of dogs getting lost dogs getting out breaking out of the fence, when there are fireworks going on because they just get so scared they either dig out or jump over the fence
Collin 13:52
or through the fence
Meghan 13:54
or through the fence and New Year's Eve and Fourth of July for us here in the States. Probably the two biggest times when pets get lost the most. Giving them a safe place to hide is a great idea as well. So whether that means a comfortable room, a bed, just a little area in a corner where you've set up some stuffed animals or something, letting the pet know that it's okay, and this is a safe place for them. Also, maybe using some ambient noise, a TV that's playing some comforting music, or a fan. Yeah, a fan some white noise, reminding the owner to update their microchip and their identification tags is very important. Making sure those are up to date. And that you know as the pet sitter Yes, this pet is microchipped so that in case they do get out, you can know that and then also keeping them busy. So called toys, puzzle games with Theresa inside, playing tug of war fetch just really Keeping them busy through the fireworks and so they hopefully don't even notice them at all.
Collin 15:05
You may also see if they have a thunder shirt or Thunder jacket that you can wrap around them. And if the owners have mentioned that the dog does get nervous around now noises, but they don't have a thunder jacket, I suggest that they look into that before the stay where you're going to be caring for them over the Fourth of July or where they're gonna be fireworks in the area. And then finally, one of the things that I think is typically one of the last things that people look to or some sort of medication and this runs the gamut. You can have prescription medications to help calm the dog or growing in popularity are CBD medications to help soothe and relax the dog a little bit. These will have various effectiveness and you may have to you may have to have the owner trial and error some before the state to see what's going to work the best. We have had some owners that have brought those with him and said if the dog gets stressed out, please use this and we have done that and he is said visibly zero effect on the dog to our eyes It has seen nothing. And we've mentioned that to the owners like hey, I'm we tried this it didn't really work. So at one I look into something else doing that ahead of time will help you and will help the dog have a much more enjoyable experience.
Meghan 16:18
Right and if you are doing dropping checks late at night while there are fireworks going on, maybe suggest that you put off the walk until maybe the next morning or do a shortened walk just so the dog isn't completely freaked out when you are out walking and there are loud noises going on.
Collin 16:36
Right? Right So changing up that schedule so that the dog can have that safe space in the home or be around that ambient noise and not out walking around the streets when people are shooting off firecrackers. Yeah, absolutely because that would not be a pleasant walk for you or the or the dog.
Meghan 16:49
Right. And then I think lastly just cuddles right is offering the dog lots and lots of cuddles which is what we all love to do anyway. Right? So not a big deal. This week we have another segment with Natasha Banyan. She's a pet business coach with start scale sale. And here's our Ask a pet business coach segment.
Natasha 17:11
This is Natasha O'Banion pet business coach was start scale sale.
Collin 17:16
So what would you tell somebody if they said, you know, I've added services because I completely pivoted away from my original ones. But now, those original services are starting to come back and ask for more attention and become more popular, but I don't want to lose those new services that I've added. How do I walk forward and balanced those two with my business without driving myself crazy?
Natasha 17:42
I actually love this because the main thing about starting a service or a business is doing market research. And so if you have a new service you started and it's working and it's becoming lucrative for you. That's awesome. That is actually a good problem to have. Press in this topic with poop scooping. If you started poop scooping, and you're enjoying it, well, now this is where the skill part comes in. So it's like, Hey, I got this poop scooping company. It's been awesome. But me, the owner, I don't necessarily have to do that. So this is where I go ahead and put an ad in and say, Listen, I'm looking for someone with XYZ amount of hours, that is going to go home to own to run our business. So now you tailor that to somebody else. So it's like you have your big baby. This person is doing this, this person is doing that this person's doing this. The main thing I want everyone to realize is that you as the owner, need to get yourself out of feeling entitled to take on all these services. You are just like the brains. So if I didn't get more people to understand that you were only the head, and you've already shown in an amazing hair that you've come up with these great services that are working. Now I need you to start putting people in the place to get these services accomplished. I got my poop scooping squad, I have my dog walking Scott, I have my pet sitting squad. And guess what my pet sitters actually love to scoop poop to my dog walkers I only use for four hours out of the day, they actually like to do pet fitting. So now you are starting to sound like an amazing company that is able to offer a lot of opportunity. Because we can actually keep you employed all day long. I can actually get you to go out in the morning and do the food skipping section. I can get you to do dog walking in the midday and I can even have you covered pet sitting in the evenings or the morning depending on our workforce. So that sounds like a great company that I would want to work for versus someone that's only offering me four hours out of the day, because now you have so much more to offer. Sounds like you're in a good place and having a good problem. Now it's just time to scale it
Meghan 19:59
again, We thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this episode today. If you would like to hear more from Natasha or have her be your personal pet business coach, you can go to her website, start scale sale.com and use the code PSC 20 for 15% off any of her coaching. If you would like to get ahold of us, you can do so on social media, Facebook or Instagram our two major platforms at pet sitter confessional, or you can email us at feedback at pet sitter confessional calm or you can even call us at 636-364-8260 however you feel most comfortable connecting with us we would love to hear from you
