Shutterstock
To keep your pets safe and cool in the Texas summer heat, remember these easy tips from the experts at American Humane:
- Limit exercise and time outdoors to cooler parts of the day. In extreme heat, even sitting still outside can be dangerous for pets. Adjust walking schedules and exercise routines to take place in the early morning or evenings.
- If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws. Before taking your dog out, touch the surface of the sidewalk or street with the back of your hand. If the ground is too hot to touch for more than five seconds, it’s not safe for your pet. Have booties on hand for your pet to wear to protect their paws or carry them to a patch of grass to relieve themselves.
- Know if your pet is at high risk for overheating. Vulnerable populations include breeds with squished faces, like pugs and bulldogs; young, elderly, or overweight pets; and those with thick or dark-colored fur. Take extra precautions to keep your pet cool.
- Never leave your pet alone in a car. Leaving a pet in a car for even a short period of time can have a deadly outcome. If you see a distressed dog inside a parked car on a warm day, immediately call your local animal control or law enforcement for help and stay with the animal until help arrives.
- Look out for signs of dehydration. Gently pinch the skin over your dog’s shoulder, pull the skin away from its body, and then release it. The skin will slide right back into place if your dog is properly hydrated, but it will remain “tented” or return very slowly if your dog is dehydrated. If you think your dog is dehydrated, take them to your veterinarian immediately.
- Know the signs of heat stroke, including excessive panting, lethargy, stumbling, a dark or bright-red tongue or gums, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, and seizures. If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, which can be deadly, bring them immediately to the vet.
- Provide temporary relief to an overheated animal: Apply cool (not icy) water on your pet’s skin with either a bath, hose, or sponge until medical assistance can be reached. Offer your dog a bowl of cool water to drink in small servings. If your dog swallows a significant amount of water in a short period of time, it could get sick and end up vomiting. Take them to a veterinarian immediately.