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Short Mugs Rescue Squad

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Beat the Summer Heat. Safety Tips for You and Your Dog.

As the weather heats up many of us head outdoors to enjoy fun in the sun with our furry family members. At our house we have two personal rescue frenchies.  Both are very different in build and physical activity.  But they both have one thing in common, they are a brachycephalic breed and do not tolerate heat well.  It is important to also remind ourselves of the dangers that heat can cause to our dogs.  Here in Texas, we have sweltering heat and humidity throughout the summer months.  Here are a few tips to keep your furkids safe this summer.
 
As the temperature rise, enjoy your outside activity time early in the morning or later in the evening.  Since it stays light outside until close to 8pm here, we love to take walks and play in the backyard at these times.  It's important to keep your pets indoors during the hottest times of the day and always have cool water available whether indoors or outside.  And if your furkids enjoy playing in the water always make sure they are supervised.  Frenchies are not great swimmers so make sure they are wearing a life jacket in swimming pools and on boats.
 
Short Mugs foster Bandit enjoys playing in the water sprinkler.
When we take the dogs down the trail we always make sure it's not during the heat of the day.  Any surface which is concrete or asphalt is much hotter than grass.  Why is this important?  It's important because a dog's main cooling device is their paws.  If their paws are too hot, then the dog will surely have issues regulating their temperature.  Paws are also very sensitive.  An easy test is to place the palm of your hand on the surface in question for about 30 seconds.  If it's too hot for that, find a grassy area to exercise your dog.

Water is another important thing to remember during hot months.  When walking we always carry water.  Even a simple water bottle can be used to provide your dogs a cool drink during hot months.  We use a special water bottle that comes with a convenient water tray.  It's made by PAWS and is a portable water dish that comes with a convenient strap and belt clip.  I purchased this on Groupon for about $8 with tax and shipping. It's important when introducing your dog to a new water drinking device to do this in the safety of your home so they aren't scared of it when you need them to drink from it.

PAWS Portable Dog Water On-the-Go Pet Dish

Leaving a dog in a vehicle during warmer weather is never a good idea.  Even with an outside temperature of 84 degrees a parked car has an inside temperature of 98 degrees with all 4 windows cracked.  When outside temperatures reach 95 degrees the inside of a car is 113 degrees with all 4 windows cracked.  If you see an animal inside a parked car during hot weather contact the business and make them aware of the situation and also call the local police department or animal control.  Be sure to let them know the location of the vehicle and provide the vehicle description and license plate number.  It is very likely that the owner isn't aware of the dangers they are putting their dog in.

How do you know if your dog is suffering from overheating or heat stroke?  Below are some signs of heat stroke.  If you find a dog suffering from these signs get the dog inside immediately and give them small amounts of cool water.  You can also place cool water on the dogs head, neck and chest area.  This can be done with wet towels or in a bath tub.  Take the dogs temperature if possible and call your vet to seek assistance.

Symptoms of overheating or heat stroke:
  • Excessive panting
  • Excessive drooling
  • Glazed eyes
  • Staggering/Cannot stand
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea (sometimes contains blood)
  • Gums are bright red or pale

The most important thing to remember is, know your pets and their limitations.  Even an extremely healthy and fit dog can suffer from heat related illnesses.  Have fun with your pets this summer and be safe.

2 comments:

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  2. Great post! You have a great tips shared in your article and all of dog owners can use this with their pets and also their self. I take some notes on the information given here, especially the symptoms of overheating stroke. I learned a lot from the information content you have given here and I will share the knowledge I learned here with my friends. Check more about: Vets North Somerset

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