RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - As temperatures approach triple digits Friday and into the weekend, veterinarians want to remind everyone an eye on their pet for signs of heat stroke.
Brady the golden retriever loves paling around with his canine companions. However, his owner Krysta Matthews knows that when temperatures rise, outside is not the safest place to Brady to play.
"I'm an overprotective dog mom,” said Matthews. "I will only keep him outside for 10-15 minutes at a time when it's really hot."
Which is exactly the advice Dr. Courtney Bowers gave.
"Dogs don't sweat like we do. They mainly rely on panting to cool off," said Bowers, a veterinarian for the Richmond SPCA.
Bowers said high humidity make it really difficult for dogs to breathe. She says that, combined with scorching hot pavement, is why she recommends dogs should avoid all outside activity, except for a quick bathroom break, when the temperature gets above 90 degrees.
“The bottom of their paw pads are pretty sensitive to being burned," said Bowers.
Bowers said with a high heat index, and increasing humidity dogs become more susceptible to heat stroke. She even recently dealt with a fatal case.
She said there are certain things dog-owners should be on the lookout for.
"Certainly, when they are running around they are going to be panting, but if they don't recover within a minute or so, they are still just panting heavily, don't want to get up, laying down,” said Bowers.
Bowers say if you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, call your vet, and it’s very important to try to cool your dog down gradually using lukewarm water.
"If we shock their system with cold water, their body will actually try and raise their temperature to counter act the effect your trying to create," said Bowers.
Another tip to cool down a hot pooch: using rubbing alcohol on their paw pads.
"If you have rubbing alcohol at home it evaporates very quickly so it draws the heat away," Bowers said.
If you want to learn more about keeping your dog safe, the Richmond SPCA is hosting a canine safety class in September. Click here for more information.
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