Cats and dog on hot tin roofs…
DO NOT do well at all. You may have seen this story today? Every summer I treat someone’s beloved pet for heat stroke. And as unbelievable as it is, people still leave their pets in closed up cars in the summer heat. Please do not do this – Your pet could die! Leaving the window cracked does not help. Keep in mind this is one of the hottest summers we’ve seen.
Know this isn’t the only cause of heat prostration. If your pet is left outside make, sure there is plenty of fresh water and SHADE. If you have a breed that has exceptional problems with the heat (especially dogs with “flat faces” such as Bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston Terriers, etc. and “cold weather breeds” such as Huskies, Chows, Malamutes) keep them inside or at least provide a wading pool as a place to cool off. Extreme exercise such as running should be avoided during the heat of the day. If your pet does become sick due to the heat, you should hose him down with cold water (if you can do that within a few minutes), then take him to your animal hospital immediately. High body temperatures for even relatively short periods of time leads to profound shock, brain damage, and death.
Remember, just because you think you can handle the heat outside, don’t assume that your pet can! Stay cool and hold out for fall.
Dr. Grif Haber is a fifth generation Nashvillian. Dashing he parents’ hopes that he would become a “real doctor,” he earned his veterinary degree at Purdue University in 1972 and established Murphy Road Animal Hospital P.C. in 1977. With a heart for rescue, he founded Love at First Sight! Puppy and Kitten Adoption Center in 1995 that has since placed thousands of abandoned puppies and kittens into loving homes.
