Community Corner
How to Protect Your Dog During Hot Weather
When the heat gets this oppressive, it's important to take of yourself, your friends and family and your four-legged friends.
By now you may have heard of the 14-month old puppy that was left in a hot car in Woodbridge for an hour. The puppy died and the owner was charged with animal cruelty.
It's too hot for man and beast alike and Brookfield Patch blogger Brooke Valenti shares tips about how to protect your dog from heatstroke.
"Many people don’t realize that just a few minutes can be deadly," she said. "A parked car can heat up like an oven even in a short period of time leaving pets at risk of heatstroke. Even on cooler days cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures."
These Patch editors did an experiment and parked their car in various situations this summer, with a thermometer on the seat. They wanted to see how hot it gets in cars, even with the windows slightly open. It only took 10 minutes or less to escalate to dangerous temperatures.
Signs of Heatstroke
Valenti said dog owners must take prompt action if they suspect their pet is suffering from heatstroke. Signs include:
- A body temperature of 104-110 degrees F
- Excessive panting
- Dark or bright red gums and tongue
- Bloody diarrhea or vomiting
- Staggering
- Stupor
- Seizures
If your dog is suffering from those issues, Valenti recommends seeking medical attention for your dog as soon as you can. If you can't visit a vet right away, she gave these tips:
- Find shade to get your pet out of the heat.
- Use cool, not excessively cold, water to cool down your pet.
- Do not cool your pet below 103 degrees as they can become too cool too quickly.
- You can offer ice to your animal, but if they aren’t interested don’t force them to eat or drink.
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