Page 6 - August 2019 Final

THE “DOG AND CAT” DAYS OF SUMMER

By Steve Clunn, Pet Committee Co-Chair

Help your fur baby beat the heat and stay safe!

The “dog days of summer” are upon • Limit how long your pet is in cats should have plenty of fresh
us, as we’ve experienced some heat direct sunlight and outside to re- water and somewhere cool to lie,
waves this year here at WAL. With duce overexertion. even though heatstroke is rare for
high air temperatures come an in- • Make sure your pet has time to them.
creased risk of pet dehydration or rest and drink plenty of water.
overheating. Severe dehydration and • Keep your pet on the grass and in For more pet-specific information,
heat exhaustion can yield dangerous the shade since pavement in di- here are some online resources to
results including organ failure or heat rect sunlight is much hotter than help you learn more about this topic:
stroke according to the American the air temperature.
Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Health • Know your cat’s or dog’s breed Dogs:
Foundation. and personality. For instance, • www.akcchf.org/canine-health/
dogs with shorter snouts your-dogs-health/caring-for-your
Below are some suggestions culled (brachycephalic) have a harder -dog/dehydration-and-
from the resources listed at the end of time cooling themselves. Pets overheating.html
this article to keep in mind when it’s with denser muscle mass and/or • https://www.hillspet.com/dog-
extremely hot out: darker fur tend to get overheated care/healthcare/heat-exhaustion-
• Know the signs of dehydration faster. Pets that are overweight in-dogs
and overheating. Cats and dogs are more susceptible to the nega-
have similar ways to cool them- tive effects of prolonged heat and Cats:
selves off as well as the signs of sun exposure. • https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/
overheating. • Have your veterinarian’s number how-to-tell-when-your-cat-is-
• Don’t forget to have water at the handy in case of an emergency so overheated
ready for your pet, especially they can be ready if your pet is in • https://iheartcats.com/5-signs-of-
when outdoors. Portable water distress upon your arrival. For heat-stroke-in-cats/
bottles and dishes help make this dogs, the AKC Canine Health
easy to do. Don’t want to buy Foundation recommends wetting While you’re trying to keep cool,
one? Use a cleaned mayonnaise the dog with cool tap water be- don’t forget to include your pet too!
(or similar) jars. The lid makes a fore you go to the veterinarian. A little preparation can go a long way
good small bowl. • Catster Magazine suggests that to help your pet stay safe and healthy.

Page 6 Wheel August 2019