Take Care Not to Allow Your Pet to Overheat
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Darla McCammon, Animal Welfare League-
Dogs do not sweat through their skin like humans, so they are more vulnerable to overheating. The way dogs relieve themselves from heat problems is by panting and they sweat through the nose and through their foot pads.
To prevent overheating, please keep your pet’s fur trimmed short in the summer and avoid too much exercise when the temperature rises.
Remember, they are losing heat through their footpads, so walking them on asphalt is self-defeating and tortuous to a dog on a hot day. Never leave your pet in a car on a warm day … even for a “few moments.” A car, even with the windows partly down, gets deadly hot in a very short time. If your pet is an outside pet, be certain there is always a shady area for them and keep fresh cool water available. You can freeze water and place this in their water bowl to keep the water cool. Pugs and bulldogs and dogs with short noses are especially susceptible to heat stroke so be extra careful with these breeds.
Some signs of heat stroke in your dog are: A rectal temperature more than 104 degrees (at 106 degrees it becomes life threatening). Vigorous panting is another bad sign. Dark red gums is a signal your dog is getting overheated. If your dog lies down and can’t seem to get up, that is another sign he or she is becoming too warm. If the pet acts dizzy or disoriented please take some steps to cool the pet.
If your pet is showing any of the above signs, move them out of the sun right away into shade or a cooler place. Use cool wet rags on foot pads and around the head. Do not use ice or very cold water on a dog exhibiting the above symptoms of an overheated dog. Offer cool water but do not force them to drink. Get to a vet right away if these symptoms develop.
Do your pet a favor and let the hot dog on a bun be the only “hot dog” you have to deal with this summer![[In-content Ad]]
Dogs do not sweat through their skin like humans, so they are more vulnerable to overheating. The way dogs relieve themselves from heat problems is by panting and they sweat through the nose and through their foot pads.
To prevent overheating, please keep your pet’s fur trimmed short in the summer and avoid too much exercise when the temperature rises.
Remember, they are losing heat through their footpads, so walking them on asphalt is self-defeating and tortuous to a dog on a hot day. Never leave your pet in a car on a warm day … even for a “few moments.” A car, even with the windows partly down, gets deadly hot in a very short time. If your pet is an outside pet, be certain there is always a shady area for them and keep fresh cool water available. You can freeze water and place this in their water bowl to keep the water cool. Pugs and bulldogs and dogs with short noses are especially susceptible to heat stroke so be extra careful with these breeds.
Some signs of heat stroke in your dog are: A rectal temperature more than 104 degrees (at 106 degrees it becomes life threatening). Vigorous panting is another bad sign. Dark red gums is a signal your dog is getting overheated. If your dog lies down and can’t seem to get up, that is another sign he or she is becoming too warm. If the pet acts dizzy or disoriented please take some steps to cool the pet.
If your pet is showing any of the above signs, move them out of the sun right away into shade or a cooler place. Use cool wet rags on foot pads and around the head. Do not use ice or very cold water on a dog exhibiting the above symptoms of an overheated dog. Offer cool water but do not force them to drink. Get to a vet right away if these symptoms develop.
Do your pet a favor and let the hot dog on a bun be the only “hot dog” you have to deal with this summer![[In-content Ad]]
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