Summer Pet Health: Tips For Sun, Skin & Travel

Summer brings sunshine and lots of outdoor adventures for pets, but along with that comes sunburn, itchy skin and the inevitable bumps and bruises from outdoor play. It’s also a time when we travel more – with or without our pets - both of which can cause stress and separation anxiety. In this blog, we suggest natural remedies from our range for managing pet health this summer.

Bumps and Bruises

Our pets love being outdoors more, but their adventures can result in minor cuts and bruises, or more serious injuries like cruciate ligament damage. Our First Aid Plus remedy for pets is great to have on hand. It’s professionally formulated to support a normal immune response to minor pain and swelling due to bone or soft tissue injuries, and to support healing of minor cuts and scrapes.

Knee injuries in cats and dogs can be painful and debilitating so need to be assessed by your vet, however you can use our Cruciate Repair remedy for pets alongside vet care and prescribed medications to support recovery. If surgery is required, we recommend dosing starts on day 2 following surgery. If surgery isn’t recommended, dosing can start immediately.

Summer Sun

Managing pink-skinned pets or those with white ears and noses in summer can be tricky – especially if you’ve ever tried using a topical sunscreen! Our groundbreaking Sol Plus – Pets uses nature to help manage the effects of the sun's rays by taking the same mechanism that we see with oral medications such as tetracycline and acne drugs that increase burn risk, but in reverse. While research is ongoing, lots of customers tell us this remedy has helped with sun management for their pet.

Biting Bugs & Itchiness

With summer comes biting bugs. Some pet owners like to use natural methods to repel fleas and ticks, particularly if their cat or dog reacts to chemical treatments. BioPet Fleas & Ticks is a 100% natural remedy that is affordable and easy to use. Dosing via the water bowl ensures your pet gets a fresh dose every time they take a drink. This is also cost effective, as one dose in a shared water bowl can provide cover for multiple pets.

We also make a mozzie repellent for people called Mozzies Plus. It works by subtly changing the body odour to make you less detectable to biting bugs.

The heat and humidity of summer can make our pets – particularly dogs - experience ‘hot spots’. These red, itchy, and sometimes oozy lesions are often the result of excessive scratching that is often more vigorous in humid conditions. Our Hot Spots Plus remedy helps to support a normal immune response to these minor bacterial infections.

Sometimes itchiness is caused by other issues such as a contact allergy, pollens, anxiety, or issues in the gut. Where and how your dog is itching offers clues to what’s causing the issue and how to treat it. A good place to start is with these tips for identifying and managing itchy skin conditions. If you know what’s causing the itching, then take a look at our full range of Skin & Coat remedies for pets.

Travelling with Pets

Summer is when we travel the most with our pets, but for some, motion sickness or the anxiety of being in a moving vehicle can take away the fun. Our BioPet Travel Well remedy is a natural way to provide support. Start dosing as soon as your pet realises they’re about to travel, then again just before you set off. Give top up doses during the trip if you see signs of motion sickness, or before you tackle a windy stretch of road. Over time your pet may learn they can travel without motion sickness, resulting in less need for remedy.

This is another remedy that we make for people too!

Leaving Pets At Home

Leaving pets behind when you go away can also cause stress and separation anxiety. If your pet will be going to a kennel or cattery, taking a familiar toy or blanket that smells like home can be comforting. You can also use our BioPet Feeling Lonely remedy. It’s formulated to support cats and dogs who are experiencing feelings of separation – whether that’s while you’re away on holiday or just out for the day. Dosing is via the water bowl or on food, so it’s easy – and safe – for kennel or cattery staff and house sitters to administer.

For pets heading to a kennel or cattery, we often recommend giving their immune system a boost before they go by dosing with our Immune Plus – Pets remedy twice a day in the week leading up to their stay.  

Dosing Tips

All our remedies are given orally which makes dosing easy, even for cats! Adding a remedy to the water bowl is the simplest and most effective method as your pet gets a top up dose each time they take a drink. Doses can also be given on food, a favourite treat or mixed into something irresistible such as a gravy.

If you think your cat or dog will be tricky to dose you can try these other methods, but be warned, No. 6 is not for the faint hearted!

General Disclaimer

Always follow dosing instructions. Our remedies are formulated to support the natural immune system of horses, pets, and livestock. We do not claim to treat, medicate or cure any health conditions. If you are worried an animal may be in pain or suffering please contact your veterinarian.