17/07/2021
Please keep your furry loved ones safe in this heatwave ☀️
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
No if’s, but’s, maybe’s; keep your dogs out of this heat, inside in a cool area of your house with access to fresh drinking water.
The same goes for making safety provisions for all other pets, please see advice below.
This advice goes unheeded by some every year.
We, other vets around the country, the RSPCA and other animal health institutions will deal with the consequences, so please don’t ignore it.
Please protect your pets.
They depend on you for their safety.
So we are posting this again.
Please read.
Please share.
☀️It’s heating up this week, please make sure your pets don’t do the same!☀️
This weather is fabulous but we want to remind all of our clients that as nice as it is to be out and about enjoying it, this is not weather that your pets need to be acquainted with; you don’t need to feel guilty about leaving them at home in the coolness of your house!
Heat stroke is a serious and often fatal condition that we wouldn’t wish any animal to experience.
There can be a multitude of symptoms and each patient is different but a few warning signs to be aware of and call us immediately if you recognise are....
-excessive panting
-abnormal/distressed demeanour
-vomiting
-uncoordinated ‘drunken’ movements
-seizures
-loss of consciousness
As always we highlight the extreme importance of not leaving dogs in cars for even a second in hot weather; but there are plenty of other risks posed by this sunshine.
🐾Don’t leave dogs in cars, at all, for any amount of time. There are categorically NO exceptions to this. ‘Not long is too long’.
🐾Avoid walking your dogs during the hottest times of the day, try to aim for very early morning and very late evenings and even then don’t over exert them. We know this may be a challenge for certain breeds and dogs with boisterous personalities, but it is absolutely not worth the risk.
19 degrees is the evidence based threshold at which it becomes a risk to walk your dog. Dogs of all ages, breeds and health status have died from being walked at these temperatures.
Just don’t do it.
🐾 Be aware that the pavements or tarmac you walk your dog on can retain a lot of heat and can even cause first degree burns in some cases.
If in doubt, place the palm of your hand on the ground, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for those little paws.
🐾 If your dog or cat has any illnesses, particularly respiratory or cardiac, take even further care not to expose them to the heat. Let them relax in a cool area of the house and keep an eye on their behaviour and breathing for anything out of the ordinary.
🐾The same advice as in the last paragraph goes for those with brachycephalic-‘short nosed’ breeds (bulldogs, pugs, frenchies, Persian cats etc). They are extremely sensitive to the effects of heat exposure and ideally should be kept inside where it’s cool.
🐾 If you have a conservatory, make sure that no pets can be locked in.
🐾If you have a paddling pool, please be aware that dogs can often easily jump in but may struggle to get out. If it’s deep enough that they need to swim, they can exhaust quickly. We see heat stroke in this weather but unfortunately pets drowning in pools happens too, so supervise them very carefully.
🐾Cats that go outdoors are usually a bit more sensible in this weather but there are always exceptions to a rule so ensure they have access to your home or to another source of shelter with a plentiful supply of water.
🐾 If you have any bunnies or other small furries who live outside, consider either bringing them indoors if possible or alternatively ensuring that their hutch and play area are shaded and of course as always that they have a plentiful supply of fresh water!
🐾It’s BBQ weather! Your dogs don’t need to join in the feast, especially not if it includes kebab skewers!
There is an abundance of misinformation about how to manage an animal suffering from overheating so please remember if you have any concerns about any of your pets due to the effects of heat (or anything else), please call us immediately any time day or night.
Take care of your pets and yourselves!
