With summer comes high temperatures and while uncommon, our pets can overheat just like us if they are tied in a spot outdoors with no shade or left in a hot car.
These situations should be avoided at all costs - our pets deserve humane treatment and should never be left outdoors without shade and water on hot days. Even with the windows open your car will quickly overheat causing their body temperature to rise resulting in brain damage or death.
The first sign of overheating will be panting, sometimes intensely. The mucus membranes and skin become deep red as the body shifts circulation to superficial areas to increase heat loss. Nausea, dizziness and weakness quickly ensue if the body temperature does not drop. High temperature can impair the regulating center in the brain causing greater danger - the skin may become cool and the animal is usually faint or may lose consciousness.
This is an emergency situation and veterinary action is needed immediately. Rapid cooling is necessary to avoid damage such as rinsing or emerging in cool water. Do not use ice water as this will worsen the situation causing shivering and constricting the surface blood vessels, both canceling out the body's cooling mechanism.
Simply by providing shade, water and cool temperatures for your pet you can avoid a very life threatening situation on hot summer days.
These situations should be avoided at all costs - our pets deserve humane treatment and should never be left outdoors without shade and water on hot days. Even with the windows open your car will quickly overheat causing their body temperature to rise resulting in brain damage or death.
The first sign of overheating will be panting, sometimes intensely. The mucus membranes and skin become deep red as the body shifts circulation to superficial areas to increase heat loss. Nausea, dizziness and weakness quickly ensue if the body temperature does not drop. High temperature can impair the regulating center in the brain causing greater danger - the skin may become cool and the animal is usually faint or may lose consciousness.
This is an emergency situation and veterinary action is needed immediately. Rapid cooling is necessary to avoid damage such as rinsing or emerging in cool water. Do not use ice water as this will worsen the situation causing shivering and constricting the surface blood vessels, both canceling out the body's cooling mechanism.
Simply by providing shade, water and cool temperatures for your pet you can avoid a very life threatening situation on hot summer days.
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2 comments:
We have two outside kitties, ones that moved from across the road bag and baggage, mainly to get away from an Alpha Kitty that was added to their then forever home. They visited us, along with the dozen or so cast-outs in the neighborhood, had a few meals, so attention, made their choices and never crossed the road the other way again. It's been 6 years. They are healthy, happy, my little playmates, escorts, and guardians when I'm out on the acre. They have the car port (now called Cat Porch) to their selves the last couple years, and have cool spots with a fan, plenty of cool water (wife adds a tray of ice daily), and they have crunchy dinners all day long. Soft food is served around 8 or 9 PM each night, the crunchy is taken inside so the local resident raccoons, opossums, skunks and whatever else might decide to stop by for a snack. We would take them in but they came to late in the outside kitties' (four of them) lives to be able to associate well. Then too, the house is not large enough for the six of us much less adding two more little ones. So, the laundry room is their boudoir, with window open, fan running and a large bowl of water. Water is changed at least once, if not twice a day.
Here's hoping today's post will wise some of the many thoughtless pet owners up to the fact that the pets are NOT self sufficient, and do need the care and attention that they would normally afford their children. The children can say when they are hot or thirsty, or sick. The pets cannot.
Good posting. We enjoy them, and learn something new almost every post.
This is a good post to remind everyone to provide water and shelter to their outdoor animals during the intense summer heat...Our Mommy always adds ice to our water, Mommy Cat and Daddy Cat's water bowls and even puts ice water in the bird bath...Thanks for your kind comments on our blog today...We've missed visiting with you guys while our Mom was out of town...Happy week and kisses x3 sweet, beautiful friends...Calle, Halle, Sukki
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