With the heat of the summer in full effect, now is a better time than ever to learn how to keep pets safe in the summer heat. A few quick tips from Associate Veterinarian at the Animal Health Clinic of Baton Rouge Timothy Leonards has advice to keep pets cool during the hottest days of the year.
Leonards said the most important thing to consider when a dog is in the summer heat is how the heat is dispersed from their small bodies compared to humans’ larger bodies.
“We sweat from all over our bodies. Dogs can only sweat through their paws, and the only other way they can disperse the excess heat is through panting,” Leonards said. “You will see really hot dogs drooling excessively and panting really heavily. They aren’t tired, they are just trying to get rid of the excessive heat.”
Part of living in the South, especially in Louisiana, is learning to deal with the heat the state is exposed to every summer. Leonards warned that when temperatures start ranging 90 degrees Fahrenheit and above, animals start to experience the effects of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“At the very minimum, give your animals
access to a fan or shade. The fan keeps the air moving, making it cooler,” Leonards said. “Leave enough water outside that it could last up to a day and a half, two days in the event that something unfortunate happens.”
Pets with smaller bodies or faces with short snouts are especially at risk to experience issues caused by excessive heat.
“They start experiencing issues especially quickly and are poor swimmers,” Leonards said. “If they try to get into the pool to cool off it can be potentially deadly and something we never want to see.”
For outside pets in particular, they need stations to cool off. Leonards said he recommends putting a few ice cubes in their water bowls or even putting a wading pan for smaller dogs that they can walk in to cool off when needed. Even though these are good methods to keep pets safe, Leonards said there is no alternative to access to air conditioning.
Dogs should not be left outside in the heat for too long unattended, especially smaller ones. While they may be fine for a few minutes at a time, he said to never leave your pet outside for extended periods of time.
“There are a variety of factors that affect how long it will take a pet to experience heat-related issues, such as breed and size or temperature
outside,” Leonards said. “We have seen people come in with a dog that was in the sun less than half an hour, and, after we take a temperature, his body heat is up to 107 degrees.”
Dogs’ internal body temperatures are normal between 101 and 102 degrees, according to a news release by the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. When body temperature reaches around 108 degrees, internal organs can start to shut down.
The LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital already has seen two fatal cases of heat stroke this summer, according to the release. Remembering to take pets on walks early in the morning when the pavement is cooler and keeping them out of cars without air conditioning are ways to prevent
deaths.
On average, the Animal Health Clinic of Baton Rouge sees about two dogs that need to be treated for heat-related issues every month.
“We have not seen one yet this summer, which is a number I am happy to report,” Leonards said.