How to keep your dog safe during a heatwave

DeKALB – With a heat index of 111 degrees recorded by the National Weather Service at DeKalb Municipal Airport on Wednesday, animal experts are reminding people to look out for their beloved pets.

Here’s what veterinary officials say you should do to keep your dog safe during this searing heat wave.

Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, said planning ahead is the most important thing that can be done to protect a pet from excessive heat when taking them on a walk or other adventures.

“Know what the weather is going to be, know where you’re going to go, and make sure that those places have areas for shade, areas of grass so that we’re not on very hot concrete or pavement. And ideally, you would go in the early parts of the day or the late parts of the day to really avoid that scorching middle of the day heat,” Carlson said.

Michelle Groeper, executive director at TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb, said not leaving a pet in a parked car is one of the more obvious things pet owners need to be mindful of when it’s hot outside, but there are less obvious threats as well.

“Now is not the time to take them to the store and leave them out in the car for even a few minutes. It doesn’t take much for that heat inside that car to raise dramatically – and that could be really bad for your pet, so don’t do that,” Groeper said. “But one of the things that I don’t think that everybody thinks about sometimes is that when you’re taking your dog out for a walk is that pavement is really hot, and can actually blister their paws.”

Groeper and Carlson said pets that need to be exercised should still be walked, but when it’s hot outside those walks should be done during the morning or evening, avoiding the heat of the day. Additionally, pets should be allowed to walk in shaded areas, or on grass, to avoid the pads of their paws from burning.

“If you put your feet on the pavement and it’s too hot, it’s going to be too hot for your pet,” Groeper said.

If shade and grass aren’t available for a dog to walk on, Groeper suggested owners purchase booties that can protect their pet’s paws from hot surfaces.

How to tell if a dog is overheating

Carlson said distressed panting that continues to escalate should serve as a warning sign to dog owners that their pet is becoming overheated.

“If you’ve calmed your dog down and the panting starts to calm down, that’s a good sign; but if they’re drooling, heavily panting, very stressed look on their face, their eyes are wide, it’s really important to try to seek veterinary care,” Carlson said.

Carlson suggested draping a cool, wet cloth around a dog if they’re experiencing signs of heat stress. Groeper said “something as simple as ice cubes” in a water bowl can be a great way to dogs cool down.

Dogs aren’t the only pet excessive heat presents a hazard too. Groeper recommends leaving food and water in areas with abundant shade, and plenty of water, for outdoor cats and other pets that can be hard to keep inside a household.

“Kind of like humans, our cats and dogs that are very old and very young are a little bit more susceptible,” Groeper said.