With the heat and humidity, Bayou summers can be brutal, especially for our pets. Cats and dogs have no sweats glands, so their bodies can’t regulate heat as quickly as ours, meaning they get heat exhaustion a lot faster than we do. Rather than risk your pet’s health during the heat of summer, follow these simple tips for keeping your pet cool and comfortable without increasing your air conditioning costs.
1. Stay Up To Date On Maintenance
There’s no better way to ensure your pets are comfortable through the summer heat than with an air conditioner that works well, so make sure you remember to have your annual air conditioning tune-ups done. Seasonal air conditioning maintenance is important for many reasons. Not only does it keep your air conditioner running at peak efficiency, regular maintenance also prevents breakdowns.
2. Close Your Drapes
Even though dogs and cats love lounging in warm pools of sunlight, keeping your curtains open raises the temperature in your home, which leads to more AC use, which leads to higher cooling bills. And if your crate-trained pets have crates in direct sunlight, they may end up overheating from too much sun exposure. So make sure to close your drapes during the heat of the day. Your cat can sit behind the curtain if he’s really determined to sit in the sun.
3. Use Ceiling Fans
Some people say that fans use more energy than they’re worth, but that’s not true. The cooling breeze created by your ceiling fans will make you and your dogs and cats feel as much as eight degrees cooler, which will feel amazing after a walk outside in that summer heat. You can actually turn on your fans and increase your indoor temperature by about three degrees, which can reduce your cooling costs by as much as 20%!
4. Use A Dehumidifier
Pets don’t sweat like humans do; they cool themselves down by panting. Panting allows pets to get the excess moisture out of their lungs, which will in turn lower their body temperature. But if there is too much moisture in your home’s air, your dog won’t be able to effectively pant away excess body heat. Dryer air also feels cooler than wetter air, so you can bump the temperature up one or two degrees and feel just as cool. A dehumidifier will ensure your home has ideal humidity levels and ensure that your dog doesn’t overheat.
5. Change Your Air Filters
As a pet parent, you already know their hair can get everywhere, but did you know that Fido and Felix’s shedding can be decreasing your air conditioner’s energy efficiency and cooling potential? This is because their fur gets trapped in your air filters, clogging them up and restricting the airflow to your cooling system. That restricted airflow means your air conditioner has to work a lot harder to deliver the same amount of cool air. To maximize your air conditioner’s cooling potential and energy efficiency—and to keep you and your pets comfortably cool—make sure you change your air filters every month.
Have a Happy Summer!
Make sure your pets enjoy a cool and comfortable summer by keeping their unique cooling needs in mind. If you have any questions about your home comfort system and its effectiveness, call Doug’s at (985) 746-1116 today!
