Steamy dog days are a threat to petsYou're stuck in the back yard in 90-degree flower-wilting heat, wearing a fur coat and without any access to water. The nearest source of shade is a tree several yards away and you're tied to a post. And you have nothing to do but wait for help....
Unthinkably cruel? For Fido, this happens far too often.
In the recent oppressive heat, at least three deaths of dogs have been reported to authorities. Many deaths are never reported.
Dogs die from heat stroke and brain damage every summer, but this year the numbers are bound to increase, say officials from county animal protection agencies.
"Every year, we find dogs chained out in heat and by the time we get to them they were dead," said Beth Lockwood, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Pinellas County. "It's usually neighbors who call for the investigation, but by the time we're notified it's too late."
Pets also get dehydrated when they knock over the water bowl or their owners forget to fill the bowl and leave home.
Although cats are typically unleashed outdoors and can look for cooler spots, they sometimes have trouble finding freshwater and suffer heat-related health problems.
Many owners don't realize how much their pets are suffering until it's too late.
"Many humans can't take this heat, so how do you think the animals feel?" Lockwood said. "These animals are outside wearing fur coats while we're inside with the air conditioning."
Lockwood cautions pet owners to keep animals inside during the summer with the air conditioning on, or at least in an area with proper ventilation. Keeping a bowl filled with freshwater is also important. The water should be changed often because it heats up when left outside.
At the SPCA, animals are kept inside or walk outside in an enclosed area. The shelter has fans and has a swimming pool for dogs.
The pool keeps the dogs' feet cool, which is something owners need to think about, Lockwood said. It is always best to exercise pets earlier in the day or at dusk when the sun is not out so their feet won't get burned.
A state law also requires animals kept outside to have proper shelter.
Greg Andrews, administrative specialist for Pinellas County Animal Services, said that a shelter should include a good roof and two sides so pets can have some shade.
The SPCA also is passing out postcards reminding people not to leave their pets in a parked car during summer months - "not even for a short trip to the supermarket," the flier states.
The card notes that on an average summer day, the temperature inside a car can reach 160 degrees in the sun in a matter of minutes, even with partially opened windows.
While breathing only hot air, a pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heat stroke. It's important to look for signs, such as heavy panting, when a pet is out in the heat.
"We have to treat pets as family members and think about how they would feel," Lockwood said. "Pets have fur coats and we don't. How would we like to sleep out in the yard in the hot sun?" For cooler pets
Loud, rapid panting is one of the first signs that a pet has heat exhaustion, according to the American Humane Association. Other signs include a rapid pulse, glazed eyes, excessive salivation, high body temperature, excessive whining or agitation, staring, vomiting and white or bluish gums. Only one of these symptoms needs to be present for a pet to be in trouble.
To lower a pet's temperature:
Get the pet into the shade and apply cool (not cold) water all over its body.
Apply ice packs or cold towels only to head, neck and chest.
Let the animal drink small amounts of cool water, or lick ice cubes or ice cream.
Get the animal to a veterinarian right away; treatment could save its life.
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