With the mercury rising this weekend, it’s not just humans who are feeling it: your pets will also be feeling the heat.
Bill Thorn, with the Regina humane society, said they get a lot of calls from people who are noticing animals in vehicles with the weather warmer.
“And that’s probably the number one thing we warn people about and talk about,” he said. “Last year we had roughly 140 calls into our animal protection office about animals in hot cars. And it can be deadly for the animal.”
Thorn said that even if it’s only 22-23 degrees it can get close to 40 degrees within 30 to 45 minutes.
“Leaving the window open a little bit, or a sun shade, is not going to provide adequate reduction in heat,” he said. “Even running the air conditioner, that means you’ve got to leave the car running. A lot of vehicles have power windows and it’s not too hard for a pet to engage those, and next thing you know they’re out of the car as well.”
Even being outside when it’s hot out can be strenuous on your animal, so make sure you given them water and shelter if they’re outside. If you’re planning on taking your pet for a walk, remember how hot the pavement can get. Thorn said if tarmac or pavement feels too hot for the back of your hand, it’ll feel too hot for your pet, so walk on the grass or a surface that doesn’t heat up like the pavement.
“You might want to walk earlier in the day or the evening when it’s a bit cooler, instead of going in the heat of the mid-day sun,” he said. “Take some water with you, as well. There’s lot of available portable water bowls and water bottles that you can get so they can have a drink along the way.”
Thorn said that you want to watch out for heat stroke in your dog, which can be fatal.
“Signs of that include heavy panting, profuse salivation, rapid pulse, lethargy, lack of co-ordination, vomiting, diarrhea, or even passing out and losing consciousness can be very serious your pet,” he said. “So keep an eye out for that. If you start seeing anything like that, maybe it’s time to head home and call it a day.”
