Yankee Hill Veterinary Hospital has already seen cases of heat exhaustion in animals.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – With these record breaking temps, you’re not the only one feeling the heat, your pets are too.
Yankee Hill Veterinary Hospital, near 27th and Yankee Hill, has already seen cases of heat exhaustion in animals and they say that can be very dangerous. So what can you do to keep your furry friends safe?
First, we would never walk barefoot on the cement in this heat so neither should your pets. The ground hit temperatures around 130 degrees Thursday which can cause serious damage to their paw pads.
“We have actually seen paw pads slump off from being in the heat,” Amelia Burkinshaw, with Yankee Hill Veterinary Hospital said. “Something we recommend is feel the back of your palm and if you can hold that to the surface for five seconds and doesn’t have any pain to you than it’s safe. But if that’s painful to you, than that will be painful to your pets as well.”
When taking your pets outside, keep it to bathroom breaks only. If you need to take your dog for a walk, do that early in the morning or late at night to beat the heat. If your animal has been outside for awhile there are several things you should be watching for to make sure they don’t have heat exhaustion.
“If they’re panting, open-mouthed. more excessively than normal. If they seem disoriented or if he’s drooling a lot and sometimes it can be foamy. Vomiting, diarrhea, they can even collapse if it’s very severe.”
If you notice these signs call your vet immediately.
Doctors say you can also spray their paw pads with rubbing alcohol or get fans on their fur to cool them down quickly.