Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
Long, sweltering summer days affect everyone, but they can especially affect pets who do not have the ability to turn on an air conditioner, get a cool drink or don shoes to protect their feet all on their own.
Rather, it’s up to owners to make decisions that will ensure the safety of their animal friends, which can be more difficult than it might seem.
“[I]t really depends on the pet,” Dr. Jenny Ceremuga, a veterinarian at Silver Creek Animal Clinic for the past 11 years, said. “What is safe and comfortable for one animal, may be way too hot for another.”
Some surprising factors include body type – especially those short-nosed breeds like French and English bulldogs and pugs – and overall respiratory health.
“Dogs cannot sweat (except from their paw pads) so their primary way of cooling themselves is by panting and evaporation from their respiratory tract,” Ceremuga explained. “Therefore, any dogs that have any kind of compromise to their respiratory system are at much higher risk of overheating or experiencing heat stroke.”
But for all pets, regardless of their breed, Ceremuga recommends taking precautions in temperatures over 70 degrees.
“A young, healthy pet, with no underlying health issues, and no respiratory risk factors, can safely be outside in pretty warm temperatures (i.e. 90s, maybe even 100) as long as they are given proper shelter from the sun, and clean cool water,” she said.
“However, safe temperatures are much lower for pets with health conditions or risk factors.”
And for those who must be confined to a kennel or a leash, Dr. Arthur Mills, a veterinarian practicing in Salem for the past 38 years, suggests adding more of everything.
“You need to provide a lot of water, very good shade and an area where there is good air movement,” he said. “And if you are not able to provide this, then [the pet] needs to be inside.”
It’s also important to remember that, while a dog may have been leashed or kenneled in the shade, within a few hours that same spot may be in full sun.
“I think it is all about being careful and paying attention to their needs,” Ceremuga said.
Which includes monitoring the heat of the ground on which they are walking.
“When our pets are on sidewalks, streets, etcetera – if you cannot put your hand on the surface for several seconds then it is too hot for your pets and will burn their feet,” Mills said.
Similarly, Ceremuga suggested, “If it is too hot for you to stand barefoot on the sidewalk or asphalt, it is too hot for your pet. This can happen quickly at temperatures of just 75 to 80 degrees.”
The same is true for the inside of a car which, Ceremuga noted, can cause pets to overheat and should be avoided if outside temperatures are above 70 degrees.
“[N]ever leave them unattended in the car,” she said. And when travelling long distances with pets, “Consider the rest areas you are going to stop at, are they pet friendly? Make sure that your dog… and I suppose your cats…are on a leash or somehow contained when you stop so that they do not get loose in an unfamiliar place!”
And if you stop for a swim, avoid still water with a blue or greenish film. It could be a sign of cyanobacteria, which is especially common in the late summer and early fall.
“Ingestion of these toxins can lead to liver and nervous system disease, and it can be very quickly deadly,” Ceremuga said. “I think the best advice is to pay attention to signs posted around the water.”
“If you wouldn’t swim in the water,” Mills added, “keep the dogs out.”
But if, despite your best efforts, your pet does show signs of toxic algae poisoning or heat stroke – rapid panting, foaming at the mouth, weakness, collapse, difficulty breathing or seizures – it’s best to get them to a veterinarian immediately.
“It can actually be dangerous to cool an animal in heat stroke too quickly…” Ceremuga explained.
But if the symptoms are mild and the dog is still in the panting stage, then cooling them down by bringing them indoors, providing fresh cool water to drink and for their paw pads may help.
There is a lot to remember when it comes to keeping pets healthy during the heat, but helping her clients do so is part of the reason Ceremuga chose to go into the veterinary field.
“I (of course) enjoy working with animals, but what really brought me to the field is seeing how much joy pets will bring to people, families and the community as a whole,” she said. “I love being a part of keeping our dogs and cats healthy, and therefore supporting the bonds between pets and their families and our community.”
