Triple Digit Temps this Weekend Warning for Pets!!!! (house, allergies)

[Techgeek]

This was posted on my Vets office Facebook and I thought it would be good to pass along to everyone.

Pet owners can help keep their pets’ safe by following some of these simple steps:

· Look for warning signs:

* Symptoms of overheating in pets include:

-Excessive panting or difficulty breathing

-Increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling

-Mild weakness, stupor or even collapse.

-They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

-Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.

-Animals suffering from heat related illnesses should immediately be seen by a licensed veterinarian for emergency medical treatment.

· Chilling in the Shade:

* Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water at all times. Make sure your pets have a shady place and shelter to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot.

· No Parking:

* Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked car can become a furnace in no time, which could lead to fatal heat stroke. Leaving pets in parked vehicles during extreme temperatures isn’t only deadly - but it’s illegal!

· Street Smarts:

* When the temperature is very high, don't let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Your pooch's body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn when they are exposed to the blazing cement or asphalt. Keep walks during these times to a minimum or do them early in the day or late in the evening when the temperatures are more bearable.

· Looking Good/Feeling Cool:

* Giving your dog a lightweight summer haircut helps prevent overheating. Shave down to a one-inch length, never to the skin, so your dog still has some protection from the sun. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. As far as skin care, be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.

[greatblueheron]

Great vet recommendations...it is a very dangerous time for pets ...best to keep the animals indoors if possible.

Not only are the temps very high, the heat index each day will be too...

And according to NWS, there is poor air quality today...ozone ...particularly bad for those with respiratory issues.

[Techgeek]

I know our dogs all go outside to do their business and get their exercise but it's important not to overdo it.

Ronin won't go in the back yard so I have to walk him but I literally walked him until he peed and turned around because my phone said it was 99 already. As soon as we got home, he got a fresh bowl of cold filtered water (this dog is so f-ing spoiled) from the fridge along with his duck treats and he's been sitting in front of a box fan to cool off.

If you think your pet is overheating, you need to act fast. Animals can and do die very quickly. Fill your tub or sink (depending on the size of the animal) with cold water enough to submerge them up to their shoulders (don't want to drown them). Get them into the water and let them cool down for several minutes (you may have to hold them there if they don't like being in water). Call your vet or one of the emergency clinics ASAP and get them in as soon as they can be seen. It's possible that your pet won't be able to keep water down if they are overheating which is why you should get them to the vet so they can get fluids in them to prevent dehydration.

Try to keep them inside if you can or make sure they have shade and plenty of water if they are outside animals. I know a lot of people who will fill a kiddie pool when it gets hot like this for their outside dogs.

[roxanneself]

Fantastic advice!
My dogs were heading out to do their business about an hour ago and they both put the brakes on at the door. The only way I'll even get them outside in this heat is if I walk them, so what I'll do is hose down their coat before we leave.
I hear these cooling coats work really well also, but you can only do so much in this heat.
Dog Cooling Vest

[greatblueheron]

Sounds like a great product for those animals that must be outside for any amount of time

[roxanneself]

Originally Posted by greatblueheron

Sounds like a great product for those animals that must be outside for any amount of time

I'm thinking about ordering a couple just for warm days when we go for walks. My dogs are such temperature wimps that high 70's finds them panting and drooling. Unless I want to walk them at midnight they try to burn their bursts of energy by racing through the house. If you've ever heard a pair of danes crashing down the stairs right behind you then you know terror.

[Sprouts]

I have 2 "outdoor" dogs. They are crated at night and outside during the day. We have tons of shade and a large fenced in area. Weelllll, it is way too hot for them outdoors today so they are confined to the air conditioned laundry room. I have family members with dog allergies (found out after we got the dogs), otherwise they'd be house dogs. They actually seem to love it more out than in but today they aren't even whining to go out. I wish I had shaved my chow/lab mix.

I've found that even when it is in the 80's and 90's, the drinking water can get warm so I add cubed ice through out the day.

[Techgeek]

It was gone by the time I bought the place but apparently, two owners ago had a dog and wanted to keep him in the garage so they installed a window unit AC and sealed the garage from the outside pretty well.

I couldn't do that. Ronin is asleep on the couch next to me with a fan blowing on him.

[cape_fisherman]

We used to be farmers and worked outside mostly six days of every week from early spring to late fall. Our dog was with us every day. Common sense rules the day...don't let their water run out and provide shade. They're animals. They will adapt so long as they are not neglected.

I remember many a dog-day-of-summer (pun intended) working on our tobacco harvester in the field and looking around to see our heeler posted up under a tobacco leaf. What a great little dog.

[Sprouts]

Originally Posted by cape_fisherman

We used to be farmers and worked outside mostly six days of every week from early spring to late fall. Our dog was with us every day. Common sense rules the day...don't let their water run out and provide shade. They're animals. They will adapt so long as they are not neglected.

I remember many a dog-day-of-summer (pun intended) working on our tobacco harvester in the field and looking around to see our heeler posted up under a tobacco leaf. What a great little dog.

Honestly, I worry more about my chow/lab mix. He has thick wool like hair. I usually shave him (short, not all the way) but with all the mosquitos, I felt more hair would be better.

I'm sure they'd be fine but I just feel better giving them a break from the heat. I wish they'd swim or let me spray them. The air is so still.