Heat Warning: Protect Your Pets

Scorching summer days are upon us. Thursday is expected to be the hottest day in nearly seven years in parts of the United States. For pets that are sensitive to heat, the steamy summer months are not only uncomfortable, they are also the time when the risk of fatal heatstroke is highest. Thousands of pets die needlessly every summer from over-exposure to heat.

Heatstroke is an emergency that needs medical attention as soon as possible. Even before you take your pet to the vet, however, you need to start cooling her body down by putting her in a tub of cool water, for example, or by applying wet towels or ice packs to her body, says Susan G. Synn, D.V. M., a veterinarian in Atlanta. When you are in the car, turn the air conditioner on high and get to the vet as quickly as you can.

Here are six tips from veterinarians for homeopathic, flower essence, and other supplements to help reduce stress in overheated pets.

The Signs

Your pet pants a lot even when the temperature is cool.

She appears tired during the warm months.

Her gums are suddenly bright red.

The Cause
Dogs and cats don’t take off their coats in warm weather, and they don’t sweat like people do. (An exception is the nearly hairless Sphynx cat, which sweats so much that it needs to be toweled off every day.) Pets pant in order to dispel heat, but it isn’t a very efficient system; they naturally run a little on the warm side. And some pets, such as those with dark, heavy coats, are much more susceptible to heat than others.

Veterinarians worry when pets seem unusually warm, because overheating may be a symptom of underlying problems. A dog who can’t walk half a block without overheating may have a heart problem or be overweight.

You will want to see your vet right away if your pet is suddenly panting much more than usual. The chances are good, however, that she just can’t stand the heat. Here are a few ways to keep her a little cooler:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dale O.

8:23AM PDT on Jul 31, 2012

Yes, we must all be vigilant in watching out for signs of heatstroke in both cats and dogs along with all mammals including man. This is preventable if we are constantly on guard. Yes, cars and dogs/cats/babies often equals tragedy!

Lately I have noticed both in articles and individual posts one word in blue being underlined. Am not sure if Care2 is testing out a new way of advertising but this happened in my posts June 16, never saw it happen before, flagged Care2 about it as the word is a link taking one to an advertising site. This is decidedly not cool! After posting this in Need Help In Care2? (one of many Care2 groups, this dealing with issues if one has problems in Care2) I found that another member had this happen to him as well. Today, I find these blue underlined words (always one word) in both articles and people's comments. Today in this post, Beverely C has the word "parent" in blue. This is likely not her doing. And the word goes back to black (normal print colour) later on!

At first I thought that I had picked up some virus from a scammer, did a security scan, my computer was clean, chucked my regular security service and rescanned with a previous service to double check, flagged My Page with a warning...involving a lot of loss of time and anxiety. Whatever this is, it is very annoying. Any other members notice this lately?

July 31
send a green star

By the way, in reference to my comment below, if the words in blue (usually one word) is NOT underlined, then it is a safe Care2 link, going to a reference article. If the word in blue is underlined (at the moment twice) then it takes you to an site involving selling something-I notice in the comment of mine below the word advertising is now in blue and underlined twice). If it is still there when you read this...don't click on it unless you wish to view a product of something being sold to you link. After awhile the blue underlined word goes back to black in the comment. Who knows which word will be underscored in this comment!) Stay tuned!

And now Beverly C's comment has gone back to normal, all black print.

Gita S.

3:59AM PDT on Jul 11, 2012

Thanks for the very useful article.

July 11
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Patricia M.

11:15PM PDT on Jul 5, 2012

Our Australian summers can be a problem, even with your pet indoors. One of my cars insisted on sitting by a sun-drenched window in the hottest part of the day and often came down with heat exhaustion if I wasn't home to watch her.