With the temperature rising veterinarians in Orange County along with everywhere else would like pet owners to recognize the dangers of summer heat. Taking your pets with you everywhere is nice, but it is important to recognize the dangers to them.
One of the most serious risks to pets in the summer is heat stroke. A pet’s temperature shouldn’t go over 104 degrees fahrenheit. Some other signs to watch for are tacky gums, panting, drooling, weakness, lethargy, muscle tremors, and seizures.
Prevention is the best medicine for heat stroke in pets. There are a few things that you can do to protect your beloved pet.
Photo by Andrij Bulba.
First of all, never ever leave pets in a vehicle that is not moving. It doesn’t matter if you have the air conditioner on, or if you have the windows cracked open. There is absolutely no way that you can leave a pet in there. Even with an outside temperature of 85 degrees the inside of the vehicle can reach 102 degrees under 10 minutes, and after 30 minutes the temperature will be over 120 degrees.
It is also important to be aware of the humidity level since this too can adversely affect your pet. In order to cool down some an animal will pant. If humidity levels are high then a pet is unable to cool themselves. Without that ability an animal’s inner temperature will soar, and endanger them.
Be careful when exercising your pet. Like you, when they exert energy their temperature goes up. If the outside temperature is already high then that is like adding fuel to the fire. On really hot days try only exercising them in the early morning, or in the evening.
Make sure that your pet has shade, and plenty of cold water. Tie up some tarps so that they will have plenty of shade. Freeze some of their favorite foods, or add some ice to their water. Frozen yogurt is a great option.
Finally, make sure that your pet gets tested for heartworms, and has preventative care from their veterinarian. Don’t let the heat in Orange County or anywhere else beat your pet!