Pets are most vulnerable at this time to many injuries and illnesses which are brought on by hot weather, including sunburn, foot pad burns, dehydration and the most dangerous of all, heatstroke.
Heatstroke occurs when a petโs core body temperature exceeds the normal range and when heat generation exceeds the petโs ability to cool itself down and lose the heat.
While heat stress is more common during the summer months, it can occur at any time throughout the year.
๐๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด:
๐ฟ๐ค๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐๐ฉ๐จ
โ pets which are overweight, have a thick heavy coat or are of a flat-faced breed, which is prone to breathing difficulties, are all more prone to heatstroke.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ
โ Rabbits and guinea pigs of any age are susceptible to heatstroke because they have very few ways of getting rid of excess heat. As prey species, they are experts at hiding any evidence of distress.
๐ก๐: Long-haired breeds,ย pregnancy and being overweightย are some of the factors which make certain individuals more prone to heatstroke.
To help protect your pets during warm weather spells, and minimise the risk of any sun-related injuries, here are a few simple things you can do at home:
๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Do not wait for your pet to appear thirsty or beg for water, ensure that it is readily available in a shady area, out of direct sunlight, and ensure their bowls are clean so that it stays nice and fresh, and they want to drink from it.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ
Only exercise your dog during the coolest part of the day and keep extra strenuous exercise to a minimum throughout periods of hot weather.
When taking your dog for a walk you should ensure you have a fresh supply of water with you.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Itโs important that your pet has access to a cool area in the house or hutch out of direct sunlight to go and relax and ensure the area has an ample amount of airflow and remains well ventilated throughout the day.
If your rabbit or guinea pig is kept in a hutch then you should move this into a shaded area, or inside of the house, depending on where their hutch is located.
๐ฆ๐๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ
Dogs and cats can get burned when they endure prolonged sun exposure, and as a result, can suffer from red, inflamed skin which is painful and irritated; resulting in scaly skin, and hair loss.
Use a ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐–๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ (not human) sun cream, especially on pets with thin or white fur, focussing primarily on their nose and ears to protect them from harmful UV rays.
๐ฆ๐๐ป ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ๐
Never leave a pet in a sun room. Temperatures, even on a cloudy day can rocket, and heatstroke can happen quickly and can be fatal, and a minute may be just too long, as temperatures in such environments can rise dramatically within a very short space of time.
๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
– Always keep a supply of fresh cool water and a dish with you for your pets.
– Ensure there is fresh air circulating through the vehicle, either from an open window, or air conditioning.
– Keep road tripping to a minimum.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐น
If youโre seeking some further ideas for ways to keep your ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด cool, and entertained at the same time, you could make some frozen treat cubes, let them play with a cold/damp towel, provide a cooling mat, place fans around the house, provide a paddling pool, or put some toys in the freezer to cool them down.
๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ice or ice-cold water as this can cause shock.
For a ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ด, you could freeze a water bottle and wrap it in a towel. They can then snuggle up to the bottle to cool down. You may also choose to give them some fresh vegetables. Before putting them in their hutch, wash them and leave a little water on them to add to their water intake.
If your pet gets too hot, you should wrap them in a damp towel, and continue to change it regularly and monitor their symptoms. It is important to note that you should not use ice-cold water or ice as this could shock their body and worsen the problem.
If your pet is presenting symptoms or you are concerned about your pet and heatstroke, you should contact your Vet immediately.
๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ
This article is produced by SAVetshops, in the interest of informing people and sharing information. It is not considered a reference article or a definitive medical reference. Source references are listed below and any person wishing to know more should consult these references, their local vet, state health service or doctor.
๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฆ
Website and online shop https://savetshops.co.za/
Addresses and contact details for our Vetshops nationally https://savetshops.co.za/contact-us/
๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด:
– ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ
– ๐๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฉ, ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐บ
– ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ด
