Cold comfort for hot dogs

Hot days can be dangerous for man’s best friend.

“People think because they’re a dog they can cope in the elements,” Ringwood vet Kim Mizzi said.

“But they’ve been bred for hundreds of years to be human companions so a lot of them don’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with the heat.

“On those really hot days they should be kept inside with the air con like a person.”

When dogs have to be left outside, their owners should make sure they have access to a shaded area and fresh water in a heavy water bowl that can’t be tipped over.

Dr Mizzi suggested freezing an ice cream tub full of water and letting it defrost in the backyard, putting ice cubes in the water bowl, or even putting out a paddling pool.

She said the biggest danger for dogs and other pets on hot days was being locked in the car.

“Even five minutes in a car can kill a dog,” she said.

“We had a couple of heat stroke cases late last year, a couple of dogs locked in a car for 10 minutes.

“One died and the other’s nails and teeth were smashed beyond repair because they were trying to get out of the car.

“You also have to be careful about exercising them on a hot day, people don’t realise that the ground is extremely hot and can blister their paws.’’

As for other pets, Dr Mizzi said cats usually managed to find a cool place to relax, but rabbits were extremely vulnerable to heat.

“The hutch needs to come inside and sometimes you even need a fan on the hutch to keep them cool,” she said.

HOT DAY MUSTS FOR PETS
* PROVIDE plenty of fresh cool water
* DON’T over-exercise, and take walks in the cooler early morning or late afternoon
* KEEP tabs on young, old, long-haired or overweight pets
* NEVER leave pets in the car
 

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Original article: http://cranbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au

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