Best awning and shades for your pet

We live in Arizona, and many of our friends have outdoor pets. The hot summer sun can be dangerous for our little furry animals for several reasons. The direct sunlight creates heat on their internal organs. This means they will often need more water to cool down.

Additionally, the sun heats up the concrete or brick patios which can lead to burns on their little paws.

We all know how unpleasant it is to step outside barefoot on a scorching hot day, this will create similar discomfort to our cats, dogs or bunnies.

In the summer, pets drink more water to keep cool. Additionally, the heat causes the bowls to evaporate more than other seasons. We suggest keeping two bowls of water available for the pet. This creates a bit of a reserve in case one gets spilled. It also helps buffer the risk of the pet overheating with no adequate source of water.

The most important tip is to create an area that is covered so your pet can get out of direct sunlight. This could be a large tree, a retractable awning, or a budget-friendly sail shade.

If you currently don’t have anything, we really like the artouch sail shade. It costs less than $40, and it can easily be attached to a fence, house wall or to a free-standing support pole.

This is a great option to ensure your pet has somewhere to get out of the heat.

I’ve seen a lot of people place dog dishes near their back door. I understand the convenience of doing this but make sure there is a way for the puppy to access the shaded area and water bowl without walking on the hot concrete or pavement.

We have a large indoor/outdoor rug that we sit on the edge of our patio. This is a great option because puppies or neighborhood kitties can easily and safely walk from the grass to our shaded area and access the water dishes.

As humans, we think that having shorter hair will keep us cooler. This logic doesn’t hold true for all breeds of cats and dogs. According to PetMd, the layers of fur lower risk of sunburn and overheating. The ASPCA suggests trimming long hair, but nothing further.

f you have an outdoor ceiling fan or simply take a home fan on your back patio, you can use it to create a breeze for your furry friend. A fan during the hottest part of the day is a great method of keeping your pet’s temperature in check.

You may need to walk them in front of the fan so they understand it will cool them off. All pay attention to how your pets react. Our pet bunny really hates fans. We’re not sure if it’s because of the sound, the vibration or the rapid airflow, but she always runs away from the area with the fan on.

If you have an awning or any sort of overhang, it’s rather easy to install misters. While many kitties, puppies, and other animals are afraid of getting sprayed by the garden hose, they are often more receptive to the tiny droplets from misters.

If you’re interested in a great mister for pets, we highly recommend the Landgarden misting system. This is easy to install as it just attaches to a garden hose, and it attaches with either zip ties or clips in a few minutes. The unit comes with prime shipping and when we wrote this article cost less than $10.

Just want to end with a standard disclaimer that I am not a veterinarian. I am just a homeowner who lives in Arizona that writes a lot about home repair and backyard living. Our family has had several pets over the years.

Right now, we have an indoor bunny, and create a nice shaded area and leave out water for a few neighborhood kitties.

We love hearing from our viewers so if you have an idea of how to make your patio, deck or backyard more pet-friendly, we’d love to hear from you. You can either send us a tweet @NewAwning or reach out to us on Google+.