COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – With summer temperatures on the rise, the awareness for man’s best friend should be as well. According to the latest research, more than 150 dogs suffered from heat-related deaths in 2023 nationwide.
Northridge Veterinarian Heather Rodriguez says taking care of your pets is simple. If you are uncomfortable in being out in the heat, maybe your pet is as well. She says cold water and a cool environment is the best way to keep your pets safe from the heat.
“When pets develop heat stroke, which is when their temperature gets above 104, they can actually start to develop kidney failure and it can affect their brain as well and that’s why we start to see seizures when the temperature rises,” said Northridge veterinarian Heather Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says it’s important to know if your pet is in heat stroke or heat stress. She says if you see certain signs you should get them to a veterinarian immediately.
“If the dog is panting excessively, their temperature is over 104,″ she said. “They are actively showing that they’re depressed, lethargic, maybe have diarrhea and vomiting. You want to get them into an a veterinary facility where they can get IV fluids and we can start doing some more aggressive therapy.”
Columbus resident Mike Walsh previously lived in Alaska, where he raised two Yorkies. He says after moving to Georgia, he keeps a close eye on his dogs and only let them outside for five minutes at a time.
“We were definitely very concerned…we we try to make sure that we never leave them out,” he said. “We let them, we will make sure we let them out and then keep an eye on them and get them right back in down here. Down here, it’s a lot different, so most the time are inside.”
Lorrie Whiteman lives in Columbus and has four labradoodles. She says her trick to keeping her dogs cool is to always maintain her house temperature.
“I keep my house around 70 degrees because that’s the perfect temperature because you don’t want them to come in too cold or too warm. I also give them treats frozen treats, blueberries, plain Greek yogurt, and they just love it.” said Whiteman.
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