Hot Weather Pet Safety Tips

Hot Weather Pet Safety Tips

With hot temperatures expected through the weekend, we'd like to remind viewers about keeping their pets safe. Even when temps are in the mid 80s, the ground (like asphalt) can heat up and still burn your pet's paws. Here are more ways to keep your pets safe:

Keep pets indoors if possible, but if they are outside, make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun.

• Keep walks and outdoor activities to early mornings or evenings when it's cooler. Touch the ground first w/your hand before taking your canine companion outdoors. If it's too hot for you, it's definitely too hot for your buddy.

• Limit outdoor activities during peak heat hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), to avoid hot surfaces, protect paw pads, and be mindful of pets with darker-colored fur as they attract the sun and retain more heat.

• Pets can get dehydrated quickly in hot weather, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water especially when the temps heat up.

• Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse.

• Do not leave pets unattended in cars. It's fatal to pets and it's against the law! The inside of cars heat up quickly in hot weather.

When it's 84 degrees outside, it can get to over 100 degrees inside your vehicle just after 10 minutes and 120 degrees after 30 minutes.