“Not long is too long” to leave your pet in a hot car warns USPCA
We’ve been getting some top tips from the animal charity to help your pets stay cool during the heatwave
As Northern Ireland's set for another scorcher of a day we are being reminded to look after our fury-friends too.
The amber warning for extreme heat is in place until midnight tonight.
Colleen Tinnelly the USPCA Development Manager has some tips to keep your pets safe in the extreme heat.
She said: “Pets will get dehydrated more easily during warmer spells so it’s very important for pet owners to refill their pet’s bowls more regularly with cool fresh water as this will help to regulate the body temperatures.
“There are a number of things we would recommend people do to keep their pets safe during the warm weather, including making sure they have access to fresh clean water, providing them with a cool area of shade to rest and not taking them out to walk during peak times of the day.
“The USPCA would recommend you check on your pet throughout the day making sure that they’re comfortable and not displaying any signs of overheating.”
Colleen also warned that higher temperatures will put dogs at risk and will affect some breads more than others.
She said: “Expose to this heat can result in over heating and it is vital for the pet owners to know what this looks like.”
Signs to look out for:
- Increased heart rate weakness
- Drooling
- Excessive panting
- Difficulty breathing.
Other symptoms that are more sever include, vomiting and seizures.
These are emergency situations so contact your veterinary clinic at this point.
“Not long is too long”
Pets should never be left alone in a car and on warmer days the interior temperatures of cars can reach unbearable levels in such a short space of time causing overheating in your pet which would be life threatening.
Walking your dog
With high temperatures it is important to be mindful of the heat of the tarmac when you are walking your dog.
If you can not hold the palm of you hand flat on the tarmac for over 7 seconds it is too hot for your dog.
If temperatures are above 19 degrees, it is not safe to walk or exercise your dog.
It’s important to walk them in the cooler parts of the day- very early morning or very late in the evening around sunset.
It is important not to take your dog our at peak time of the day.
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