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Summer is a good season for pets and their owners to spend happy time together. However, high temperature, sultry weather and strong sunlight may also put pets at risk of heatstroke, which may even endanger their lives in severe cases.
Be alert that your furry children may also be suffering from “silent heatstroke”! Especially dogs and cats, they cannot sweat to dissipate heat like humans. If they are not properly cared for, they are prone to heatstroke, dehydration and even heat stroke in summer. How to help your cats and dogs spend the summer safely? Dokoo brings you a practical “Prevention of Summer Heatstroke in Pets” guide.
What is pet heatstroke? What are the danger signs?
Heatstroke is an acute disease caused by overheating of the pet’s body and the inability to dissipate heat in time. It is most likely to occur in an environment of high temperature + humidity + poor ventilation or after outdoor high-temperature exercise.
Common symptoms of heat stroke:
- Continuous panting, rapid breathing
- Red oral mucosa, dark purple tongue, pale gums
- Mental depression, unsteady standing, slow movement
- Vomiting, diarrhea
- Increased body temperature (over 39.5℃)
- Extremely high body temperature can lead to shock, coma and even death
High-risk pets include:
- Short-nosed dog breeds (such as French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers)
- Long-haired cats and dogs (such as golden retrievers, Alaskans, Persian cats)
- Elderly pets or pets with heart and lung diseases
How to deal with pet heat stroke?
If you find that your pet has symptoms of heat stroke, please take the following emergency response measures immediately. Time is life, and timely cooling is urgent.
- Turn on the air conditioner or fan indoors to keep the temperature between 22-26°C.
- If you are outdoors, move to a cool and ventilated place immediately
- Prepare a cool pad or wet towel for your pet, apply cold compresses to the head, armpits, and foot pads, and bring it to the rest area.
- Do not splash with ice water to prevent the vasoconstriction from worsening. Feed clean water or electrolyte water, do not force it.
- Send to the pet hospital immediately after vomiting, convulsions, and coma. How to prevent heatstroke in summer?
1.Environmental ventilation + cooling is the key
Staying in a closed room for a long time will gradually increase the body temperature and cannot be reduced. Therefore, environmental ventilation + cooling is the best way to make fur children comfortable indoors.
Turn on the air conditioner or fan to keep ventilation indoors; Use pet-specific cooling pads and ice packs, do not directly contact the skin, and can be wrapped with a layer of cloth for use; Place a water basin or humidifier near the cage and nest.
2.Avoid going out during high temperatures
Going out during high temperatures is a challenge for both people and pets. It is not recommended to go out during the high temperature period at noon unless it is necessary. If you go out during high temperatures, please be fully prepared. It is recommended to walk your dog in the early morning or evening
Test the ground temperature with the back of your hand (it is not suitable to go out if it exceeds 35℃)
Bring a water bottle, wet towel and timely water when going out
Limit the time your pet is exposed to high temperatures (it is recommended not to exceed 15 minutes each time).
If you are driving, avoid leaving your pet in the car, even if the window is open, it may cause heatstroke
3.Provide cool food
Pets may have a decreased appetite under high temperatures. Avoid feeding high-fat and high-salt foods. Choose light and easily digestible staple foods.
Wet food supplement: increase the proportion of wet food and provide additional water.
Ensure clean and cool water supply around the clock
You can give your dog some pet ice cream and chilled yogurt (for healthy dogs)
It is not recommended to feed humans ice drinks and ice cubes directly to prevent gastrointestinal irritation
Dokoo 15L smart feeder: manually set small portions and multiple feedings (4-6 times a day) to prevent pets from eating too much at one time in summer and causing indigestion
Trim hair properly
The heat dissipation system of furry children is not well developed, so timely trimming hair is also a relief for them.
Long-haired dogs and cats should be properly trimmed to keep them fresh
Be careful not to shave them to avoid sunburn
Do not over-exercise
Due to the nature of dogs, although they need to go out for a walk every day, the time period, intensity and content of walking should be paid special attention to in summer.
Summer dog walking is mainly short-distance and low-intensity
Use pet shoes when going out to prevent foot pads from being scalded
If you take your pet out for swimming and playing in the water, please pay attention to hygiene issues
Home monitoring
If you need to go out for work and it is inconvenient to accompany your pet all the time, you can use smart devices to monitor health.
Dokoo Pet Camera: 2K HD, with night vision function, real-time monitoring of pet status. Dokoo Dog Camera has its own AI detection function, which can capture the pet’s movement trajectory and take real-time photos and upload them to the cloud. The owner can check whether the pet is resting or drinking water in the shade through the APP.
Abnormal warning: If you find your pet lying on the floor panting or not drinking water, adjust the environment immediately or contact a veterinarian.
Conclusion
Summer heatstroke is an invisible threat to pets. Owners need to prevent and protect their furry pets’ health through drinking water, cooling, diet adjustment, and pet smart devices (such as Dokoo feeders and cameras). Let furry-kids keeps cool in summer heat.
