As the summer heats up in earnest, the Pennsylvania SPCA urges pet owners to take a few extra precautions with their animals to keep them safe and healthy.
"Every year during the hot months, our Humane Law Enforcement Department receives a spike in calls about animals being left outside without adequate shelter or water or being left in hot cars all alone," said Marc Peralta, chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania SPCA. "One of our goals is to educate pet owners on how to keep their animals safe, especially in extreme weather conditions."
Heatstroke can kill both dogs and cats. Symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees. Pet owners should take extra precautions with elderly or overweight pets.
The Pennsylvania SPCA offers these hot weather tips:
- If your pet spends time outside or in the yard, make sure they have some shade to get out of the sun. Make sure they have lots of fresh clear water shaded from the direct sun. Water bowls sitting in the sun can get very hot creating a scalding bowl of water.
- Never leave a pet in a car alone, even with the windows down a crack or the air conditioner running. Even on cooler days, a car can become a furnace very quickly.
- Consider getting an inexpensive plastic kiddie pool for your dog to cool down in post-outdoor exercise. Some dogs also like to play in sprinklers.
- If you have a swimming pool, do not leave your dog unattended in the pool area. Not all dogs can swim - they can drown if they fall into the water. They can also get sick from drinking chlorinated pool water.
Categories:
News
