Summertime, Pets, and Your Florida Homeowners Insurance

        Summertime is a great time where people take it easy, go on vacations, have barbeque get-togethers, and more. Though the sun may be hot here in the state of Florida, there are swimming pools, iced tea, and air conditioning to help us escape the summer heat. However, we aren’t the only ones who can suffer from heat in the summer. Animals need special care in these hot months as well.

The summer heat can get to animals quickly. Because they are so low to the ground, the heat coming off of the asphalt can cause your pet to easily overheat and to scorch its paw pads.

Not only does the extremely warm weather cause animals to overheat but it can cause dehydration. Since animals dehydrate so quickly, it is good to always have a fresh water supply available for your pet.

Summertime is also a popular time to take care of your lawn and this often consists of weed-killers and pesticides, which can both be dangerous for your pets. So keep such lawn products out of reach.

Along with the summer heat comes the mosquitoes and other insects. If your pet is bitten by an infected mosquito, there is the chance they will transmit heartworms to your pet. To avoid this issue, make sure your pets are on “preventative medicine”.

In addition to heartworm prevention medicines, you may want to have your pets on flea and tick products to keep your pets healthy and happy. Remember, some medicines are just meant for dogs, some are meant for cats only, and some are safe to use on both animals. So pay attention to the instructions before you apply such medicines.

When it comes to having get-togethers at your home, you never know what might happen. Your dog may even bite or injure someone. In a case like that, you must know what your homeowners insurance covers. Many homeowners insurance policies have a sufficient amount of liability coverage that will cover the claim. However, if you do not have enough liability coverage or your policy excludes dog bites, you may want to look for another option. One thing you can do is to purchase an umbrella policy. This policy will be able to provide you with extra liability coverage.

        If you have any questions regarding your Florida insurance policies or would like to be requoted with a different company to see if there is a cheaper premium or better quality policy out there for you, call Westgate-Jones Insurance Agency at 352-787-7548.

 

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