Keeping Your Pet Cool
Keep your pets happy in the heat by making sure that they stay cooled off. In this video learn all about how to keep your dog happy and healthy when it gets too hot outside. Get in the know about how to tell if your dog is over heated, how much water they should be drinking daily and what to do should they start suffering from heat exhaustion. Remember the best thing for you and your pet on those hot summer days is to stay hydrated!
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Step 1:
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Keep your dog cool.
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Physical activity is good for both you and your pet. But when temperatures rise there are some things to remember. Unlike people, dogs cannot sweat and are much more prone to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The dog may be man's best friend but when its hot outside a dog's best friend is a big bowl of cool water. "You need to make sure that your dog has two and a half times the amount of dry food that they are eating, in water. So that's a lot of water that they need to be drinking"
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Step 2:
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Warning signs:
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Here are the warning signs your dog has heat stroke. Look for bright red gums, heavy panting and a body temperature over 104 degrees. If your dog has symptoms cool him down with a hose and rush him to a vet.
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Step 3:
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Immediate action:
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If your dog is displaying signs of dehydration then bring him indoors immediately. And here's a test to check and see if they're dehydrated. Its called the capillary refill time. Grab your dog's mouth, open up the upper lip, press against the gums for two seconds, release - the color of the gums should restore to its natural pink color within two seconds. If it does not they could be dehydrated and you must rush them to the seminarian.
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Step 4:
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A few tips:
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Here are a few more hot weather tips. *Never leave your pet in the car, even for just a minute.*Don't over exercise your dog, try to let them run in the morning or evening when its much cooler.*Bring your dog or cat in on hot days and never leave pets unsupervised outdoors.
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Step 5:
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Thanks for watching.
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If you thought dogs couldn't get sunburned because of their fur, guess again. Dogs with white fur, pink skin and long muzzles are more susceptible to burns. If you are going to be outside during a sunny day put on some doggy sunscreen.
For The Pet Report, I'm Mitch Wilder.