𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦

𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 – 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝘀 – 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 – 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀

𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧

– 𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗧𝗢 𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗠

Temperatures heat up inside vehicles rapidly even when parked in the shade with the windows slightly open. Is it worth putting your pet through this agony?

With an outside temperature of only 20°C the inside temperature of the car can rise to around 24°C within five minutes, to 27°C in 10 minutes, to 36°C in 30 minutes and to 46°C within an hour. 𝗔 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵.

The outside temperature in South Africa during the summer months often reaches 30°C and above (with high humidity in some regions) making the above example far worse and making it unwise to travel with or leave a pet in a vehicle.

𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡

SAVetshops has cooling pads for dogs and animal safe sunscreen for animals.

𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥

https://savetshops.co.za/contact-us/

𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗗𝗦

• Have a fan on low speed near the cage.
• Keep the cage clean and do this regularly, every second day.
• Light fine mist at regular intervals.
• Provide a bath which can be free standing or attached to the bars or both, refresh daily.
• Provide shade.
• Water must be refreshed daily and kept full, utilise more than one water feeder.

𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗦

• A cardboard box is ideal to create a cool, dark spot for your cat and place it in the shade.
• Circulate the air and keep it cool with a fan or air conditioner.
• Exercise only in the early morning and late evening and limit play.
• Freeze a bottle of water, wrap it in a towel and place it somewhere where the cat can rest comfortably.
• Fresh water must be kept in the shade (add ice cubes) and in addition to the bowl also consider investing in a drinking fountain.
• Keep outdoor cats inside.
• Keep sun blinds down and/or curtains closed as this will lessen the heat inside.

𝗗𝗢𝗚𝗦

• Cool down your dog by providing a paddling pool and/or sprinkle him/her with the garden hose or sprinklers.
• Cooling mats and ice packs in beds (the latter must be wrapped in a towel) are particularly effective in helping to keep your dog cool.
• Fresh, cold water kept in a shady spot and refreshed daily, also add ice cubes.
• Freezing treats can serve as environmental enrichment as well as to cool your dog down.
• Walk your dog 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 in the early morning hours or late evening hours when it is cooler and ensure that the ground isn’t too hot for their pads.
• Wet towels with cool (not ice cold) water and drape them over your dog.
• Wet your dog’s coat or drench a towel in cool but not ice cold water and don’t leave it on for too long.

𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗦

• Ensure enclosures have some uncovered smooth surfaces such as floors, ledges or platforms with no bedding (e.g., areas without newspaper, towels, or blankets).
• For animals with water bottles, regularly check that the spout isn’t blocked.
• Freshen water often and add ice cubes to their water dish to help keep it cold.
• Keep animals in cooler areas such as basements during heat waves.
• Provide more than one water source.
• Set up fans to blow a breeze around (but not directly on pets), and cover part of their enclosure with a damp towel to cool the air even more.

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀

• Fresh refrigerated veggies and fruit (rinse these in cold water just before serving as an extra source of moisture).
• Hamsters and gerbils, cool their sand bath in the fridge or freezer before giving it to them.
• Hamsters, mice and gerbils, put a ceramic mug or small terracotta pot in the fridge or freezer and then place it in their enclosure (turned on its side) to use as a cool hideout.
• Rabbits, chinchillas, rats and guinea pigs, put a ceramic tile or plate in the freezer or fridge and then place it in their enclosure as an optional surface to lay on to cool down.
• Rats can play bobbing for peas (shallow dish of cool water with frozen peas for them to fish out and eat).

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥

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.

𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦:

My Vet Hospital https://myvetanimalhospital.com.au/top-tips-keeping-indoor-cat-cool-summer/

Animates Vetcare https://www.animates.co.nz/articles/keep-your-bird-safe-in-summer

Blue Cross UK https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/health-and-injuries/top-tips-for-keeping-your-dog-cool-and-safe-in-summer

Four Paws South Africa https://www.four-paws.org.za/our-stories/publications-guides/could-your-car-become-a-heat-trap

Medivet https://www.medivet.co.uk/pet-care/pet-advice/10-tips-to-care-for-your-cat-in-the-heat/

PDSA UK https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/keeping-small-pets-cool-in-summer