Summer is the perfect season for getting outdoors and engaging in activities with our furry friends. But summer can also be a dangerous time for animals, as hot weather can spell danger.

For pet owners who want to protect their animals, controlling the temperature and how long animals are in the heat is important.

The ASPCA recommends that pet owners visit their local veterinarian for a spring or early summer checkup, to make sure their pets' health is in tiptop shape. Pets can easily overheat, so protecting them from that is important, the organization said.

“Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it's hot or humid outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot,” the ASPCA suggests.

Temperatures above 90 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit put pets at risk of heat stroke, burns and other injuries, according to PetFinder.com.

“It's incredibly important to help your pets stay cool during the summer — especially because they can't tell you when they're feeling under the weather,” according to the website.

PetFinder.com suggests keeping animals indoors as much as possible to keep them cool.

“Overheating can happen quickly in dogs and has many detrimental effects on health, so it's better to be safe than sorry,” the website states.

Symptoms of overheating include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees, according to the ASPCA.

Pets should never be left alone in a parked vehicle. This can be fatal as the vehicle's temperature heats up.

“Parking in the shade and leaving the windows open does not prevent the heat from rising. It is never OK to leave your pet in a parked car for any period of time when you're running errands,” PetFinder.com states.

Pets should also not linger on hot asphalt, which can burn their paws, according to the ASPCA.

The ASPCA also suggests never leaving animals unsupervised around a pool, to prevent drowning.

“Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals,” according to the ASPCA website.

Grooming is also important, the ASPCA states, but pets should never be shaved, as the layers of dogs' coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat.

To protect pets from pests such as mosquitoes and other insects, the ASPCA suggests using sunscreen or insect repellent labeled specifically for use on animals, and keep animals away from lawn treatment chemicals, citronella candles, tiki torch products and insect coils to prevent ingestion and poisoning.

The ASPCA also suggests keeping many food and drink items commonly found at barbecues away from pets, as they can be poisonous.

For Fourth of July celebrations, which include fireworks that can cause a pet to have anxiety or panic, the ASPCA suggests leaving pets at home and never using fireworks around them.

“Exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma, and even unused fireworks can contain hazardous materials. Many pets are also fearful of loud noises and can become lost, scared or disoriented, so it's best to keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area of your home,” the ASPCA says.