Keeping Your Pet Safe, Happy, And Having Fun In Summer Heat

With the summer here, many of us are looking forward to spending time outdoors with our families and pets. Summertime is a great time to enjoy the outdoors playing and exercising with pets – and as long as you take the precautions necessary to prevent overheating – you should be able to enjoy all the fun that this good weather has to offer.

Don’t leave your pet inside your car – even with the windows cracked. Veterinary studies have proven that the temperature inside a closed car rises exponentially as the air temps go up.

With the average summer temperature in Fredericton hovering between 25º and 27º, the inside of your car could reach temps of 34º to 38º within 10 minutes of sitting in direct sunlight. Within 30 minutes, inside temperatures could hover in the 42.7º to 48.3º range. Those hot temps inside your car can easily throw your pet into heat exhaustion or possibly fatal hyperthermia, also called heat stroke.

Test the surface of sidewalks and roadways yourself before asking your dog to walk or run on them. According to statistics provided by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the surface temperature of asphalt roadways can reach 52ºC if the air temperature is our summer average of 26º. At that rate, skin destruction of your pet’s paws can occur within 60 seconds of contact. JAMA recommends pressing the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt surface for a full 7 seconds to determine if it will be comfortable for your dog.

The surest way to tell if your pet may be in danger of overheating is to check body temperature. An increased temperature above 39º (37º to 38º is considered normal) indicates that your dog or cat needs an immediate cooling down.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion leading to heat stroke (hyperthermia) include open-mouthed panting, skin tenting indicating, dehydration, excessive drooling, rapid and/or irregular heart beats, little to no urine production pursuant to dehydration, and a wobbly, uncoordinated gait.

If the overheating continues, symptoms can become more rapidly pronounced and lead to coma and, quite possibly, death. The signs to watch for include blood in the stool or vomit, generalized confusion, seizures, small pinpoint areas of bleeding on the gums, lips, or whites of the eyes, muscle tremors, shock and unconsciousness, leading to coma, organ failure, and, eventually, death. *Note: Any, or all, of these symptoms can be signs of a veterinary emergency and require immediate veterinary care.

If you suspect your pet is suffering from heat stroke, there are several things you can do to immediately lower body temperature while you’re on your way to the vet clinic.

Spray your dog down with cool – not cold – water. Wrap the body in cool, wet towels. Blow air on your pet with rotating fans. Use isopropyl alcohol on the footpads, under the forelegs, and in the groin area where heat is likely to accumulate. Stop cooling once the body temperature reaches 38ºC to avoid hypothermia; avoid using ice or very cold water that can cause blood vessels to contract and restrict blood flow to the heart or extremities. Allow your dog to drink cool, not cold, water freely. Don’t force your dog to drink.

These simple rules during summer fun days can help your pet stay safe and healthy for years to come:

• Bring water along when taking your dog on walks or runs; remember, both animals and humans need good hydration.
• Watch out for sunburn. Ears, noses, and pink underbellies on your dog will sunburn just as easily as your own skin. Rub in sunscreen tailored just for canines to protect sensitive doggy skin.
• Avoid exercise or play during times of peak heat. Go out early in the morning or after the sun has set in the evening if you’re concerned about the heat affecting your pet. If your pet has to be outside during the hot hours of the day, make sure they have access to plenty of water and shade. Leave your pet at home if you have to run errands.