08/12/2023
A heat wave is expected this coming week, with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in many part of Oregon. Here are some reminders about how to keep pets safe during extreme heat:
🚗🚫 Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle
Even when outside temperatures are a moderate 70 degrees, a car or truck cab can become a miniature greenhouse. Even with the window cracked, the temperature inside a car can quickly climb to more than 110 degrees. Because dogs don’t perspire (they pant to take in cooler air), the distress of a hot car can make them panic, which only aggravates the problem.
Many cases of heatstroke happen when dogs are locked in cars with windows rolled up or cracked slightly. Heatstroke is life-threatening for animals. If not caught in its earliest stages, heatstroke can mean quick death for your pet. To avoid heatstroke, it's best to leave your pet at home in a cool, shady spot.
Symptoms of heatstroke include:
* Panting
* Dehydration
* Excessive drooling
* Increased body temperature - above 103° F (39° C)
* Reddened gums and moist tissues of the body
* Production of only small amounts of urine or no urine
* Rapid heart rate
💦 Provide your pet with plenty of clean, cool drinking water
This is very important in order to avoid dehydration. However, do not let your dog drink a lot of water before, during or after exercise because a condition called gastric torsion, or bloat, may result. A dog, especially a deep-chested breed like the German Shepherd, can die from bloat. Its stomach may swell and even rotate like a wringing towel, which cuts off blood supply through the stomach.
☀ Avoid exercising your pet during the midday summer heat
Exercising your animal is important, but it is better to do so in the early morning or evening hours when the temperatures are lower, and pavement isn't so hot. If you run with your dog, it is important to gradually build an exercise program that your dog can handle. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke if overworked. If you notice your animal behaving in a peculiar way and suspect it may be suffering from heatstroke or bloat, contact your veterinarian immediately.
🔥Beware of exercising your dog on hot pavement
You wouldn't walk barefoot on hot asphalt and neither should your pet. Your dog can get damaged or blistered feet from hot asphalt. Consider walking on the roadside or grass, and/or walking your dog early in the morning, or later in the evening.
✨Protect your pet from sunburn
Just like humans, pets can get a sunburn, too, especially on their nose or less hairy areas. Help your pet avoid a sunburn by avoiding the sun during the brightest part of the day (10 am to 4 pm) or use a pet-specific sunscreens which are fragrance free, non-staining, and contain UVA and UVB blockers. Do not use human sunscreens on pets; most are toxic if ingested by dogs or cats. Check the label, as some pet-specific products are not appropriate for use on cats.
