Science with Steve: Keeping pets safe in summer heat
While summer is an enjoyable season for many reasons, it can also be one of the more dangerous, as heat continues to top the list of weather related fatalities across the United States year after year.
So the dangers of summer heat are ever so prevalent, and that also rings true for our pets!
‘Protect your pet.’ Virginia Beach SPCA shares tips to keep furry friends safe during heat wave
Never leave animals in parked vehicles, even if the car is on and the air conditioning is running. On a typical summer day where temperatures are around 85° to 90°, the inside of a parked vehicle can exceed 110° in a five to ten minute window of time.
Get outside early, or late. Keep those dog walks to the early morning hours or later in the evening. Dogs sweat through the pads on their paws, making it rather difficult to stay cool when walking on hot pavement or concrete. Be sure to check the pavement or concrete if those walks are in the hot summer sun – place the backside of your hand on the pavement for five to seven seconds, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them.
Limit strenuous exercise. Just like us humans, humidity effects dogs in a similar way. As a dog pants, the moisture from their mouth down to their lungs evaporates, which slowly cools them down internally. That’s a lot less efficient on humid summer days.
Find the shade! Lastly, limit the amount of time spent in the sun, and give your doggos plenty of shade. Ice in their water bowls also goes a long way!
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