Dog days of summer are no joke. The extreme heat we're experiencing in Wisconsin right now can be deadly for pets.
Here are some tips on how to prevent pet heatstroke you can use right now from veterinarian and author Karen "Doc" Halligan.
She has appeared on Regis and Kelly, the Today Show, the Mike and Juliet Show, iVillage Live, Fox and Friends, Animal Rescue 911, Dog Tales, Dogs 101 and Cats 101 and is a judge on Animal Planet's hit reality show "Groomer Has It". She is also regular contributor to PARADE magazine. She is also the author of “ What Every Pet Owner Should Know: Prescriptions for Happy, Healthy Cats and Dogs" (HarperCollins, 2007).
Says Halligan: "Dogs and cats are highly susceptible to heatstroke because they have limited mechanisms to cool themselves: panting and losing heat through their tongue, nose, and footpads. Certain types of animals are more prone to heatstroke than others. Dogs with flat faces like pugs, bulldogs, or Boston terriers have a difficult time panting and thus can easily overheat. Also, dogs with heavy coats; older animals; obese dogs and cats; puppies and kittens under six months; pets who are ill; and pets on certain medications are at an even greater risk for overheating during the summer months.
"Nearly every case of heatstroke is preventable. Exercising and being left in a car are the two most common causes of heatstroke in dogs and cats. Dogs like to keep up with you while exercising and may not readily tell you they’re getting too hot until it’s too late. On a 75-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car—with the windows open—can quickly climb to over 100 degrees and cause overheating.
Dogs and even some cats love to ride in the car, but you absolutely must resist the urge to let them accompany you during the summer months. Once temperatures soar above 75 degrees F, your car becomes a coffin. Even with the windows open, the temperature inside a car can quickly rise to deadly conditions. NEVER leave a pet in the car alone. It only takes a few minutes for the temperature to rise above 100 degrees, with fatal consequences for your pet. Every summer, emergency clinics and vet hospitals treat dying pets that often cannot be saved. These tragedies are completely preventable! Unless someone will be in the car at all times with your pet with the air-conditioning on, please leave your cat or dog at home.
"To keep your pet from overheating, don’t exercise your cat or dog during the hottest part of the day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and be observant of your pet when you do take it outside. Catching heat exhaustion early is the key to success in treating this all-too-common deadly condition. Exercise your pet either early in the morning or late in the afternoon and bring plenty of water with you. Before starting your walk, give the sidewalk a test with the palm of your hand. If it’s too hot to touch, it can burn your pet’s footpads and you should avoid this surface.
"Stick to dirt paths, grass, or concrete surfaces. Keep your pet off of asphalt, which retains heat due to its composition and dark color; the tar base can melt and stick to the pads of your pet’s feet, causing burns. If you suspect that your pet has burned its paws, you need to take your pet to the vet right away. To help cool your pet at the end of a long walk, apply a cool, wet washcloth to the footpads."