(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Keeping pets safe

Keep your pets in mind when the hot weather hits: Melfort Ambulance

Jun 27, 2020 | 8:56 AM

The summer heat and humidity can take a toll on people, but it’s also important to remember to keep an eye on our four-legged friends.

Wayne Therres of Melfort Ambulance tells northeastNOW that temperatures inside a vehicle on a typical summer day can exceed 50 Celsius in just 10 minutes. That can have deadly consequences for both children and pets.

“We don’t want to leave either one [kids or pets] inside a car,” Therres said. He said Health Canada suggests children and pets can die within 40 minutes of being in a hot car.

“Opening a window slightly just doesn’t help,” Therres added.

Staying hydrated on hot days is crucial for adults, kids, and pets, according to Therres. Humans should drink juice or water, not caffeinated drinks, while pets should have clean water available at all times.

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Pets also need a shady area while they’re outside.

“Let’s make sure that our pets that are outside, if they happen to be tethered…that they have someplace cool to go so they don’t have to be out in that hot sun,” Therres said.

Humans have a chance to at least remove layers of clothes to keep cool on a hot day, Therres said, while our pets aren’t as lucky – especially those with a thick coat.

“When we have a pet that’s furrier, we want to make sure we have lots of fluids for them,” Therres said. Trimming the pet’s winter coat, if possible, will also help them stay as cool as possible under the circumstances. Therres added keeping shorter-haired pets out of the sun for prolonged periods is also important because animals can get sunburned just like humans.

Therres said pets exhibit many of the same signs and symptoms as humans when they experience too much sun or heat, including lethargy and loss of appetite. Dogs will show increased panting and drooling and may become agitated. Breathing and heart rates will also speed up. Therres said cats will also have an increased heart rate, will show agitation, and may also pant to try to cool off.

Animals in severe cases of heat and sun exposure could experience vomiting and diarrhea, which may become bloody. There could also be staggering, seizures, and a lack of urination, and in the most severe cases, coma and death.

Therres said pets exhibiting symptoms of overheating or sun exposure should first be taken somewhere cool. Owners can spray the pets with cool water, not cold, as that could lead to shivering that could heat them more.

“If necessary…take them to the vet as quickly as you can, and as safely as you can,” Therres said.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974