HOW TO KEEP YOUR PET SAFE DURING SUMMER AND AVOID HEAT STROKE, SKIN CANCER AND DEHYDRATION
Source: Irish Mirror (Extract)
Posted: June 23, 2022
One Irish vet has shared her top tips on how to keep your dog safe this summer as temperatures get hotter.
Heat stroke, dehydration and skin cancer are all threats to your pets in warm weather.
Irish vet Hazell Mullins said that because we’re not used to high temperatures in Ireland, we need to be “a little bit more aware” of the dangers to our pets.
Heat stroke is quite common in dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets, with Hazell saying that owners would be “surprised” at just how easy it can occur. Flat-faced animals, such as pugs, can be particularly susceptible to overheating.
“A dog’s temperature is about 38.5, and so is a cat’s. In heat stroke, it actually can go up to about 41 degrees which actually can cause a lot of organ failure and it can be fatal.
“It is really important to mind our pets in the heat,” she told Claire Byrne on her RTE radio show on Tuesday.
Dogs and cats don’t have sweat glands on their skin like humans do, which means that it is more difficult for them to control their body temperature. They sweat, instead, through their paws and nose.
According to Hazell, the most common cause of heat stroke in pets is actually exercising them in high temperatures rather than in a car. “They did a study in the UK and they showed that almost 72% of heatstroke cases are actually post-exercise so we have to be careful.
“It’s lovely to be out and about in the good weather but maybe bringing our dog with us isn’t the best idea,” she said.
A good idea to prevent your pet from overheating or from getting bored is to get them an interactive dog puzzle, which will entertain them indoors until the heat dies down a bit.
Leaving pets in a car does also pose a huge threat to their safety. Inside a car, your dog could pant out air that would be about 40 degrees Celsius and 100% humidity. This means that in the confined space, they’re making the situation a lot worse.
Hazell said: “In a very short space of time, your dog could end up in a very bad situation, even if you just pop into the shop.
“Really, we should avoid putting our dogs or cats in cars at all when temperatures are high and make sure that, if we have to travel, we’re putting them on a cool mat, opening windows, air conditioning and not leaving them unattended.”
Some animals just naturally enjoy the sun more than others, with cats, in particular, known to enjoy lying around in it. However, they can get dehydrated very quickly as they often don’t drink enough water. Hazell said that it’s essential to have water available to them. Using running water or interactive water toys can help to avoid dehydration.
It’s also important to bring those animals that love basking in the sun into the shade indoors when it gets too hot.
Pet paws can be sensitive, so the last thing you want is for your dog or cat to get burned walking on a hot surface. To avoid this, it’s important to check the temperature of the ground yourself.
Hazell said: “There is a little tip that I have learned along the way that if you can put the back of your hand on the surface so on the road or on the sand in a beach that you can leave it there for seven seconds. If you can’t leave it there for seven seconds, it is too hot for your pet.”
Some animals are particularly susceptible to skin cancer, such as white cats or those with non-pigmented patches. Using a pet-friendly sun cream from your vet or pet store can help to prevent damage.
