Keep Your Pets Cool as Temperatures Soar By the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The RSPCA is urging pet owners to make sure their four-legged friends do not frazzle in the heat. All too often, owners make the mistake of thinking that it is sufficient to leave a bowl of water or a window open for their pet but this is not enough to protect your pet from heatstroke, which can have fatal consequences. The RSPCA’s message is: ‘Dogs die in hot cars. Don’t leave your dog alone in a car.’ As an example, the temperature inside a vehicle can soar to 117 degrees within 60 minutes when the outside temperature is 72 degrees. Other dangers are: • Cloud cover can disappear quickly. • All dogs will suffer, but some dogs are more prone to heatstroke. For example, dogs that are old, young, short nosed, long-haired, overweight or heavily muscled are more at risk, as well as dogs with certain diseases. • Temperatures in air conditioned cars can reach the same temperature as outside within just five minutes of the air conditioning being turned off. The most obvious sign of heat stroke in dogs is excessive panting and profuse salivation. Other signs include: • Overly red or purple gums • A rapid pulse • Lack of coordination • Reluctance or inability to rise after collapsing, seizures, vomiting or diarrhea • Coma or death in extreme instances Owners who fear their dog may be suffering from heat stroke should act quickly. Pets should be moved to a cooler spot immediately before calling your vet. Douse your dog with cool (not cold) water. You could put your dog in a shower and run cool water over her, or spray your dog with cool water and place him in the breeze of a fan. Never cool your dog so much that he begins to shiver. Let your dog drink small amounts of cool water. Continue to douse your dog with cool water until her breathing starts to settle and then take her straight to the veterinarian.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 22:25:16 +0000
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