Tri-City News, Coquitlam
Published: July 27, 2009 3:00 PM
Updated: July 28, 2009 2:59 PM
The heat is on, so the BC SPCA is urging pet guardians to play it cool.
With scorching temperatures predicted in Metro Vancouver this week, the BC SPCA is offering tips on how to keep pets safe and cool. The first and most obvious recommendation is not to leave your pet in the car.
According to an SPCA press release, the temperature inside a parked car at this time of year — even one that’s in the shade — can climb well about 38 C. Dogs can withstand high temperatures for only a very short time — usually just 10 minutes — before suffering irreparable brain damage or death.
If you see a dog languishing in a hot car, call the SPCA in your area or local police. Before the authorities arrive, the SPCA says, members of the public can help prevent a tragedy by attempting to find the animal’s guardian. If the car is in a mall or grocery store parking lot, for example, ask to have the owner paged over the building’s PA system. If a window on the vehicle is cracked open, try to increase the airflow inside by fanning the pet with a portable fan.
In addition to not leaving pets in the car at this time of year, owners should use caution when exercising their pets under the sweltering summer sun. And if you run with your dog, try to run early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky. Also, try to stay away from asphalt because it can burn your dog’s foot pads.
BC SPCA also offered info on signs of heat stroke in pets:
• exaggerated panting (or the sudden stopping of panting);
• rapid or erratic pulse;
• salivation;
• weakness and muscle tremors;
• lack of co-ordination;
• convulsions or vomiting;
• collapse.
If your dog shows symptoms of heat stroke, you should:
• Immediately move it to a cool, shady place.
• Wet the dog with cool water.
• Fan vigourously to promote evaporation (o not apply ice, which constricts blood flow).
• Allow the dog to drink some cool water.
• Take the dog to a veterinarian.
For more information, visit www.spca.bc.ca.