West Plains, MO. – With summer coming up, temperatures are getting warmer and pet owners need to keep certain things in mind to help their animals deal with the summer heat.
Dr. Wes Gunter, the vet at Priority Pet Care of the Ozarks, talks about some of the challenges hot weather poses to your pets.
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As the heat continues to creep up, remember the following tips to help your pet stay safe and happy in the heat:
- Changing your pet’s water multiple times daily is always a good idea and always make sure your pet has lots of shade.
- Please make sure when you take your pets with you as you are out and about to not leave them inside the vehicle. The temperatures inside a car can rise 20 degrees in less than 10 minutes.
- If you exercise your pet, take care to wait for the coolest parts of the day and never rely on a fan to cool your dog off. They sweat through the pads of their feet and a fan won’t cool them like it cools a human.
- Watch for signs of heat stroke, which include: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness.
- If your pet does have a heat stroke do the following:Move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck, and chest, or run cool (not cold) water over them. Let them drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take them directly to a veterinarian.
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