How to keep pets out of the heat

Due to the hot wave that swept the country, when the air temperature in the city reached + 42 ° C in places, our four-legged friends may find themselves in difficult conditions. All of them suffer more from the heat due to their fur coat.

Speaking with ERT, veterinarian Stefanos Batsas emphasized the importance of prevention with some simple but important advice. According to him, we definitely take our pets for a walk in the morning or afternoon when the temperature is lower: “If we can put our hand on the asphalt and hold it for about 7 seconds, this means that our animal can walk on the asphalt without burning its paws.”

In addition, keeping the animals cool is just as important as having access to clean drinking water. “Let’s not forget about homeless animals. You can put a container of water for them and refill it, ”added the veterinarian.

because of high temperatures “We never leave an animal in a closed car,” emphasized Mr. Batsas, adding that “we think as if we had a small child.”

5 Tips for a Good Pet Owner

How do you know if your dog is overheating?
In dogs and humans, the primary signs of overheating are the same: weakness, heavy breathing, heart palpitations, seizures. The dog itself will begin to give signals: it will try to leave the sun, hide in the shade. The main thing is that the owner does not take this for laziness and does not start again to take the dog out into the sun.

What to do on a walk?
Experts do not recommend taking long walks in the heat. And it is best to walk in the shade, on the grass, avoiding the hot asphalt. Gradually, the dog will adapt to the weather, but it may take him several days. They went out, took a walk, the dog did its job – and immediately go home.

How to help in the heat at home?
It is good if there is an air conditioner at home – so it will be easier for the animal to get used to the hot weather outside the window. If there is no air conditioning, you need to provide your pet with a cool corner in the shade so that he can hide there from the sun. It is also worth monitoring the nutrition of the animal and not overfeeding the dog. In the heat, there is less movement, which means that the portion should be less.

Does the dog need to wear wet clothes?
In the heat, the dog, of course, needs water. At home, fresh water should always be in a bowl or fountain, and for a walk you can take special travel drinking cups: they look like an ordinary bottle, but small bowls are attached to them. If the house does not have an air conditioner or fan, you can give your dog a cool shower.

And there are also cooling clothes for dogs – blankets and vests made of special fabric. The blanket needs to be wetted, and for 40-60 minutes it will keep the dog cool and comfortable. A regular T-shirt moistened with water will also cool well.

What if heatstroke occurs?
Nevertheless, sometimes there are critical situations. The dog can get heatstroke and even faint. The main task of the owner at such a moment is not to panic and perform a few simple steps:

gently take the dog in your arms, but in no case press too hard to yourself and do not press on the animal – at this moment the heart is already hard, there is no need to load it additionally; take the pet to a cool room or shade; pour water over the dog. Moreover, you need to pour it over completely, and not only from above, because the oily hair of the dog with water on top will create the effect of a lens, and as a result, the animal will only get worse. It’s best to even dip your dog in water or wrap it in a wet towel. …



Source link