WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) – It’s already getting hot outside, making it the perfect time to start thinking about how to keep furry friends safe in the sun.
Nicki Bacon is an administrator for Wichita Falls Animal Services. She said that being aware of the pavement’s temperature is important to know if your pet is safe to step outside for a walk.
“When you take your dogs on a walk, a lot of times if it’s too hot for your hand like if you touch the pavement, it’s going to be too hot for your dog’s paws, so try to take your dogs on a walk later when it’s not so sunny out, when it’s not at the peak of heat outside. So just make sure you’re paying attention,” Bacon said.
According to a study published in “Frontiers in Veterinary Science,” the most common strategy to keep your dogs hydrated is simply free access to water.
“Always make sure that you give them plenty of access to water, that means more than one bowl, give them more than one bowl. It’s also a good idea to help make sure that they have shade outside. If you’re leaving your pet outside make sure that they do have shade because a dog can have heat stroke just like a human can,” Bacon said.
Katie Lister is a volunteer foster with Emily’s Legacy Pet Rescue. She said that there are some symptoms to look out for when pets are experiencing heat exhaustion.
“Excessive panting, change in consciousness sometimes gastric symptoms so that’s fairly advanced when it gets to that but you can definitely see the respiratory distress that they would feel hot of course too. And you want to get them indoors, get them in cool water – not cold – you don’t need to ice them necessarily,“ Lister said.
Animal Services is also reminding residents to always keep their dogs on a leash if they are outside of the yard.
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