Courtesy Photo | While pet owners fight to stay cool during this summer’s heat wave, they should...... read more read more
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – While Soldiers and Families fight to stay cool during this summer’s heat wave, Capt. Sarah Bohac, First Year Graduate Veterinary Education intern, said they should remember to protect their pets as well.
Keep it cool
Bohac said there’s a misconception when it comes to pets and their tolerance for heat. Pets are more like people, she said, in that they need time to acclimate to hot weather.
Assuming a pet can spend extended time outdoors in extreme heat is dangerous for their health.
“People often assume that their pets are already acclimated to hot weather or can acclimate easily,” Bohac said. “In truth, our pets take as much work to acclimate as is does for us, maybe even more.”
This is especially true for winter breed dogs or brachycephalic dogs because their genetics make it much harder for them to tolerate hotter weather.
Brachycephalic dogs are canines with short muzzles or flattened faces. Their altered bone structure can make it hard for them to breathe and include breeds such as pugs, boxers, bulldogs, Boston terriers and shih tzus.
To ensure pets are protected from dangerous heat conditions, Bohac recommends they be treated just like children. Leaving them in a car with just a window cracked, she said, is unacceptable and can lead to death.
“Many people also don’t understand how hot a car can become in only a couple of minutes, even with cracking the windows,” Bohac said. “Leaving our animals in cars is the most common way our pets succumb to heat injury, which can be fatal or cause permanent injury.”
Limit activity during the day when it is hottest outside, reduce exposure during the hottest hours, Bohac said, and provide plenty of water when pets are outside.
“The best way to cool our pets down is to coat them with water and provide some kind of wind source,” she said. “Our pets cannot sweat as we do, but drying wet fur and panting is the best way our pets have to cool themselves down.”
Mind the asphalt
Pet owners, particularly dog owners, need to be more mindful of the pavement, Bohac said. If you wouldn’t walk barefoot on the asphalt, then it’s too hot for your pet to do so.
“Surface temperatures on paved surfaces can easily raise to dangerous levels in excess of ambient air temperatures,” she said. “Walking on too hot of surfaces can lead to burning of the paw pads leading to the pads having extensive injuries that are very difficult to heal properly.”
Bohac said the best way to judge the temperature is by placing a hand to the ground for 15 seconds. If it is uncomfortable to maintain the hand on the pavement for that amount of time, it is too hot for the pet and can lead to injury.
“According to data reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association, when the air temperature is 86 degrees, the asphalt temperature registers 135 degrees,” the American Kennel Club reported in 2021.
Skin destruction occurs at just 125 degrees.
“If it is too hot, you can either walk your pets on grass, wait until the surface is cooler, or put on paw coverings to prevent pain and injury,” Bohac said.
Avoid heat injury
Even when pet owners try to do everything right, heat injury can still occur. Bohac said it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of when a pet has exceeded the limit of heat exposure.
“Excessive panting is a sign, which can be determined if your pets don’t want to sniff their favorite smells or eat their favorite foods,” she said. “Other signs include extreme lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.”
Bohac said the best course of action is to immediately cool the animal down to the skin with water and to take the pet to the nearest animal clinic for their safety.
“Heat injuries in pets can be devastating and life threatening,” she said. “Even if we are able to cool their body temperatures following an initial heat injury, there are often secondary injuries to their gastrointestinal system or other body systems that they may never fully recover from.”
The best way to avoid putting a pet in a life-threatening situation is to follow the same guidelines you would for yourself. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for a pet to be outside. Avoid leaving them in cars at all during hot weather, and make sure they stay hydrated and have access to shade or air conditioning.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2022 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 425585 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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