Summer is here along with the heat and humidity that can be dangerous for our pets. Heat stroke (a potentially deadly condition) and other injuries, like burned pads are a frequent occurrence in the summer. Here are a few tips to help keep your pet healthy and avoid heat related emergencies during our hot summer days.
1. Limit walks and Exercise to Morning and Evenings:
Dogs have a limited ability to dissipate heat. Heatstroke can be a life threatening condition where a dog is unable to lower it’s body temperature after being outside and overexposed. This can happen in temperatures as low as 75 degrees for some breeds, ages, or during exercise. These dogs may show signs such as weakness, collapse, excessive drooling/panting. If this condition is allowed to progress without intervention, heat damage can occur to vital organs, and in severe cases cause death. For this reason it is best to limit exposure to the warm weather by exercising during cooler hours of the day. This mostly restricts activity to mornings and evenings, and avoids the mid-day heat. This is especially the case for overweight dogs, older dogs, dogs with thick fur coats and the breeds with shorter faces.
2. Keep backyard outings short, shaded and hydrated:
It simply gets too hot in the middle of the day to leave dogs outside for extended periods of time. Shade and water help, but the risk of heat stroke pertains even to inactive dogs simply being left outside in hot temperatures. Breeds with short faces ( like Pug, Bulldog, Boston Terrier) or an obese dog are likely less able to dissipate heat as well. This also applies to breeds with thick fluffy coats as well as dogs prone to airway disorders such as laryngeal paralysis.
3. Paw pads burn on hot pavement:
During the day the pavement heats up to the point that it can burn a dog’s paw pads. To prevent this. place a barefoot or your hand on the pavement for 30 seconds and see if you can tolerate it. If you can, then it’s probably okay to walk on. Another tip is to always give your dog the option of walking on grass instead.
4. Never Leave Your Dog in the Car
Heat stroke is what happens to dogs that are left in a car even during mild summer days. On a 70 degree day the inside of a car can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes. When it’s 85 degrees outside your car’s interior can soar to a dangerous 104 degrees in 20 minutes, even with the windows cracked. It truly takes JUST MINUTES to put your pet in danger in a hot car.
5.Know the Signs of Heat Stroke:
Dogs cool themselves by panting but on very hot days this may not be sufficient. Watch for signs like nonstop panting, excessive salivation (often this is thick and ropey), weakness, collapse, bright red gums, and vomiting or diarrhea. Should you see any of these signs seek veterinary help immediately and if possible, apply room temperature (NOT COLD) to your dog”s body and paw pads. This helps start the cooling process and could save lives.