Taking care of your pets during the summer heat

Columbus, Ga – The “Dog Days of Summer” are here. It’s also important for pet owners to be careful with their four-legged friends during these sometimes dangerously hot temperatures. Courtney Pierce, the Executive Director at Paws Humane Society in Columbus, says the best time to go outdoors is when the temperatures are cooler during the day.

“You know walking in the early morning and late evenings. Just limiting the time outside. What I think a lot of people don’t understand is that they’re just as susceptible to heat exhaustion, heat stroke and everything just like people are. So make sure to keep them out of the heat of the day. Bring them inside,” said Pierce.

If you’re outside with your beloved furry friend, and you think they might in danger Pierce says to look for these warning signs.

“Disorientation, they might be a little wobbly. Ultimately, you don’t want it to get this far, but if they collapse over you do need to get them into a cooler environment. If you’re seeing those kind of signs then you need to get them to a vet,” said Pierce.

Of course taking your pets for a walk is an important part of keeping them healthy, but it’s important to be aware of exactly where they’re going. Asphalt can get very, very hot during and can actually burn paw pads. Here’s a quick way to check if a surface is too hot.

“So what I do is I take my wrist, and I can put my wrist and put it on the concrete. If it’s too hot for my wrist to sit on there for a few seconds then it’s too hot for the dogs to walk on it. So you can just wait until a little bit later in the evening when it cools off a little bit and recheck,” said Pierce.

At times pet owners have to run errands. Some people think they can go for a quick run into the store and leave their pet in the car. Pierce wants to remind everyone that’s still a very dangerous situation for pets.

“Take your pets back home. Do not leave them in the vehicle. If you absolutely have to leave it running. Obviously that comes with it’s own set of problems with your keys in the ignition. I do recommend leaving them at home. Even with the windows down the temperatures in the car can rise very, very quickly. What seems like a quick trip can end in disaster,” said Pierce.

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