12/07/2022
Here is some important information provided by Danni Hickman who delivers Dog First Aid. All dog owners please read!!!
🌞🔥🌡 With the temperature set to be VERY warm this weekend I thought I would post a reminder on what to watch out for, that may indicate that your dog is suffering in this heat.
🔥🐶 Heatstroke in dogs can be a very serious, even fatal condition.
🐾 Things can quickly escalate, from a dog that is mildly uncomfortable, to one who is in irreversible organ failure.
🐾 There are several things you can do to help prevent Heat stress escalating to heat stoke:
🐾 Keep your dogs in a cool well ventilated, shaded area, preferably inside. Dogs will stay outside in the sun to please us. Be your dogs advocate.
🐾 Walk your dogs at cool times of the day. Be aware that humidity as well as air temperature has just as much affect on the dog.
🐾 If it is too hot or muggy to walk your dog, use enrichment instead. Play find it with a treat or toy. Put different scents, such as cat nip, lavender, mint under plant pots and let your dogs sniff them out.
🐾 Use puzzle toys, Kongs, LickiMats or slow feeders instead of their usual feeding bowls to mentally tire them out.
🐾 Teach a new trick.
🐾 Iced treats are fine to give to dogs who are not showing any signs of suffering. If giving ice-cream, make sure it is dog safe. Look at the ingredients and make sure there are no artificial sweeteners, as these can be toxic to dogs.
🐾 If dogs are showing signs of becoming uncomfortable, cool them down SLOWLY in tepid, NOT freezing cold water.
✋🚗 NEVER leave your dog in a car. Not even for a few minutes.
⚠️ ALWAYS speak to your Vet if you think your dog may be suffering from heatstroke. You do not know what damage may have been caused to internal organs.