Happy summer pet lovers, and, speaking of, it is obvious by these first few weeks of June that we are in for a really HOT season.
One cannot be reminded enough how we must be overly diligent about watching our pets, as the heat can be fatal to them. I encourage you to read this when you have time, so that in the event you should have a heat stroke situation with a pet, you will know what to do immediately to help. Best case scenario, obviously, is to do our best to avoid being in that situation to start with.
Two of the most IMPORTANT things to remember are:
1. DO NOT take your pets with you in the car. In only takes minutes for the car to heat up enough to put your pet in jeopardy. They are happier at home in the A/C.
2. DO NOT exercise your pet in the heat of the day. Best time is in the morning, before the sun comes up, and in the evening, when it's mostly down. This will also eliminate their pads being burned on hot concrete surfaces. Remember, dogs do not have the cooling system that a human has, they cool themselves mainly by panting. Therefore, WE have to monitor and control their activity, because they can't.
Some signs of heat stroke include (but are not limited to): body temperatures of 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, and coma.
If you suspect your dog is suffering from heatstroke, immediately get he/she to some shade, and use cool water, not ice water, to cool your pet. (Very cold water will cause constriction of the blood vessels and impede cooling.) Give them a little water, not alot, or just ice cubes if you have them available. Even if they appear to be okay, I would highly suggest having your vet check them over.
Tips for Summer Heat and Pets:
DO: Take it easy
Make midday an inactive, shady time for your dog. A young teen got a sobering lesson when he took two dogs running in California, where temperatures can top 100 degrees. The heat sent both dogs to a veterinarian and only one returned home alive. "One died from complications of heat stroke, despite aggressive intervention that included, among other steps, an ice bath, fluids, and anti-inflammatory medications," says their veterinarian, Michael Andrews, DVM, president-elect of the American Animal Hospital Association.
DO: Save walks for cooler hours
Stay out of the heat. Walk during cooler hours, know your dog's stamina, and work well within his limits. Katherine Liscomb was surprised when heat stress struck her new dog, Greta, a Chow Chow rescued from Hurricane Katrina, during her first week in Southern California. One hour into their first long walk together, "Greta's panting grew increasingly rapid. She was faltering somewhat and needed to lie down a lot, cooling herself on our neighbor's grass," says Liscomb, a vice president for the Humane Society of the United States Southern California office in San Marcos. "We found shade and let her lie down as much as she needed as we made our way back to the house. Once we got home, I gently hosed her down with cool water." It worked. Greta began to breathe normally and, Liscomb says, "we've been very careful with walking her ever since."
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DO: Keep him out of the car
Even on a nice day, don't leave your dog in a parked car. On a 72-degree day, the car's interior can reach 117 degrees within an hour. Eighty percent of that spike occurs in the first 30 minutes, according to Stanford University research published in the journal Pediatrics. A man who stopped at a bar for a drink learned this the hard way. He left four Doberman Pinschers in metal cages in a van. All were dead by the time Curt Ransom, an animal control officer for Northern California's Peninsula Humane Society at the time, opened the rear van doors
in response to a complaint. "One of the most horrifying animal control calls I ever went on," he says. Even keeping the windows cracked open doesn't help. Windows that were open 1 1/2 inches did not decrease the car's interior temperature during the Stanford study.
In the end, common sense will help you keep your dog cool. If it's too hot for you, then it's definitely too hot for your dog. Not everyone realizes how dangerous this hot weather can be, not only to US, but, to our beloved pets.
Please, wait until you have the time to read the information provided in the below links. It could be the difference in saving your dog's life.
Humane Society of US
About.com - Summer Hazzards - Article
Prevent Heat Stroke Article
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