The first heat waves of the summer have already made an appearance in countries like Mexico and Spain. And this is only the beginning. Therefore, it is important to take into account tips to cope with high temperatures without our health suffering for it. But, in the same way that we must take care of our health from the heat, we must also ensure that of our pets.
both cats and dogs they suffer a lot with high temperatures and they can experience sunburn and heat stroke the same way as us. They will not notify us when they are feeling ill, so we must be alert to detect possible symptoms and, more importantly, act to prevent them from developing.
Whether we are at home or going out during the heat wave, there are some factors that we must take into account to care for our pets. For example, it is very important follow some schedules. But let’s see what they consist of.
Meal times during the heat wave
It is generally not necessary to vary the diet of pets during a heat wave. However, as he explained to hypertextual in 2022 the veterinarian Lucía Lahoz, yes they must be reduce quantities and above all, take into account the schedules. If we give them food in the coldest hours of the day, they will be hungrier and it will be better for them. They must also have always accessible water to avoid dehydration.
On the other hand, although it is not essential, some pets may appreciate that we change the dry feed for wet food. This can be key in cats, who tend to drink less water, but also in some dogs.
Be careful when your pets walk in summer
In the same way that we avoid walking in the central hours of the day during a heat wave, with our pets we must do the same.
This is so for two reasons. On the one hand, because the high temperatures can cause them to heatstroke. And, on the other hand, because the asphalt and sidewalks get so hot that they can damage the pads on their paws.
In 2022, from Veterinary Journal shared Heather O’Bannon’s warningsan American veterinarian who recounted the case of Olafa dog that had come to his office with paw burns for a walk with their owners. The animal walked 1.5 km before they realized that something was wrong with it. Possibly he had started to feel pain some time ago, but he preferred to continue walking. Therefore, when they realized, the burns were already very advanced.
In fact, as pointed out by Veterinary Journalenough with 5 minutes at a temperature of 50ºC so that the legs burn. If it is 60ºC, 1 minute is enough. And they are not environmental temperatures, but of the ground. It depends a lot on the material and the heat of the surface, but with 35ºC such as those reached during a heat wave, those temperatures can be reached in the soil easily. For this reason, it should be avoided as far as possible that dogs walk on the ground during the central hours of the day. If the floor burns when touched by hand, our dogs should not put their paws there.
It is true that they have their schedules to relieve themselves and that they may need it, even if it is only for a moment. But we have already seen that a moment can cause burns. Therefore, in such cases, it is advisable to use leg protectors or, if possible, take them to a grassy spot. Dogs don’t like to wear pads, but they can be taught to put up with them for even a little while.
If they still burn, It is important to detect that they have been burned to go to the vet. Therefore, if after the walks the dog limps, licks its paws a lot, or has red, scaly, or bleeding paw padswe must call our specialist.
What do we do at home during a heat wave?
For the cats there is no problem, because they do not have to go out to relieve themselves. What’s more, they shouldn’t, since they are invasive species and would endanger urban fauna. Now, it’s hot at home too. What do we do with them and the rest of our pets if the temperatures are very high?
The first thing we must to avoid is to shave them. We may think that their hair gives them a lot of heat, but in reality it protects them from solar radiation, so we would be taking away a very important shield.
It is good to keep the house ventilated, avoid opening the windows in the hours in which the sun falls directly on them and use air conditioning only sparingly. If it is used too much, it can dry out the mucous membranes of our pets and also cause them a lot of nervousness.
can be used cooling blankets, which contain a gel that helps keep animals cold. According to Lahoz, dogs love it.
Can we take our pets to the beach?
There is no problem with taking our pets to the beach. However, some recommendations must be taken into account, especially if we are going through a heat wave.
The first is to use Solar protection. They too can burn and eventually suffer from skin cancer. It is true that their hair protects them, but they have areas like the muzzle, ears or belly where the skin is exposed. That is where we must put the protector. Of course, it must be specific for dogs, since those of humans usually contain zinc oxidec, an ingredient that is not dangerous for us, but it is very toxic for them.
On the other hand, we must avoid the central hours of the day. Exactly the same as humans. In addition, the sand gets very hot, so the precautions with the paw padss should be the same as we have already discussed.
How do we know if they are suffering from heat stroke?
If we follow all these tips, we should prevent our pets from suffering a heatstroke. However, we may get lost or the heat wave may be so intense that it ends up being inevitable. Therefore, we must also be watch out for symptoms
If our dogs or cats show fever, confusion, agitation, slurred speech, excessive salivation, incoordination, hot and flushed skin, nausea, vomiting, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, or several of these symptoms at the same time we must contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. This will tell us how we should act and give the appropriate treatment.
Ultimately, with the heat waves to come, we need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. And that, of course, includes our furry friends.