How to keep pets cool when it's really hot
BOSTON -- High temperatures can mean danger for animals. "Dogs are not really good at letting us know when they've had too much or when they're too hot and what we notice is sort of when the heat stroke has already kicked in," said Dr. Nicole Breda, Director of Veterinary Medicine with the Animal Rescue League of Boston,
She gave pet owners some helpful tips during the heat wave.
"Supplying kiddie pools for them to cool off in, lots of shade, ample water and really limiting exercise as much as possible," she said.
If a pet must be outdoors, be mindful of hot surfaces. "Folks will go hiking or walk along the pavement and the paw pads will get burned off. So having owners I usually say put your hand down on the pavement and if it's too hot for you then it's too hot for their paws," said Breda.
Watch for signs of heat stroke.
"What you're going to see is increased panting, some of these dogs will start drooling. We'll even see the gum color change, so deep red or purple gum color or tongue color. And then it can progress to vomiting, weakness and eventually collapse when they get to the point of severe heat stroke."
The Animal Rescue League warns of leaving pets in parked vehicles, sharing that an outside temperature of 94 degrees can mean a temp of 145 degrees inside a car.
"Without any A.C. even within a few minutes those temperatures can rise to a deadly level where these guys can get heat stroke within minutes," said Breda.
The ARL said prevention is key. If possible, leave your pet indoors in the A.C.