Sun’s out, paws out — more than one in 10 pet owners put sunscreen on their pet.<br /><br />That’s according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. pet owners split evenly by region, where during the summer, 15% apply sunblock to their pet.<br /><br />Through other small, mighty precautions, like checking the temperature of the pavement before walks (15%), it’s clear that pet owners are taking caring for their pets during the summer seriously. <br /><br />As the dog days of summer get longer and warmer, pet owners are gearing up for what 27% claim to be their pet’s favorite season — with 62% of owners sharing the same favorite. <br /><br />But pet parenting steps up a notch, as a similar number (29%) find summer to be the most challenging season to care for their pets. <br /><br />One-third (33%) of pet parents even spend somewhere between 11 and 20 minutes preparing their pet for summer outdoor adventures, while another 23% take up to 30 minutes. <br /><br />Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Merck Animal Health, the survey looked to understand how pet owners are approaching the summer months and ensuring their pets are safe and healthy.<br /><br />In going that extra mile, they’re also providing fresh water (59%), air conditioning and fans (54%) and using flea and tick prevention (48%) to care for their four-legged companions. <br /><br />During the summer specifically, pet parents are vigilant and find themselves on high alert for fleas and ticks (49%), burnt paws (26%) and heat stroke or exhaustion (24%).<br /><br />However, while pet owners are going above and beyond to care for their pets during summer, less than half (43%) of pet owners have microchipped their pets – an important precaution, especially as pet owners partake in outdoor activities during the warmer months.<br /><br />Moreover, specific concerns vary by region. While pet owners in the Southeast also find themselves worried about fleas and ticks (44%), they are more concerned about aging (37%) and heartworm disease (32%) than any other region. <br /><br />“While it’s unsurprising that pet owners in the Southeast are more concerned about fleas and ticks than any other region given the warmer temperatures, it’s important for all pet owners – no matter the region – to keep their pet up to date on a preventative as fleas and ticks can thrive in most environments,” said Kathryn Duncan, DVM, PhD, DACVM, parasitology field specialist, Merck Animal Health. “With the introduction of the Asian longhorned tick, a new invasive species found in over one-third of the states in the U.S., keeping your pet on a preventative is especially important now more than ever. Pet owners should speak to their veterinarian about a prescription.”<br /><br />In general, respondents visit their vet about four times a year. <br /><br />Most of those visits in the past year consisted of yearly check-ups (72%) and vaccines (75%), with only 17% of all pet owners needing to rush to the veterinary hospital for an emergency visit.<br /><br />However, almost one-third (31%) of Northeasterners visited the emergency vet over the past 12 months, compared to only 12% in the Southeast.
