Don’t let your pets get hot under the collar

It's a new year, and that means we've got a long summer ahead of us. It is more important than ever to ensure your pet is kept safe from heat related illness. Dr Paws offers our readers expert advice on how.

Heatstroke is a serious concern for our four-legged friends, which is why as pet owners it is important to take steps to ensure your pet is feeling cool and comfortable throughout the summer period.

Tips for staying cool:

1. Ensure cool shelter with good ventilation is available. Keeping pets indoors with air conditioning on warmer days is ideal.

2. Freeze ice blocks and place them in your pet’s water bowl.

3. Purchase a small paddling pool that they can sit in to cool off. Alternatively, if your fur friend doesn’t enjoy swimming then you can either wet their paws or mist their face with water. Placing a cold wet towel around them is another good option.

4. Limit walking time to either early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the hottest hours of the day. Walking on extremely warm pavement can be painful for pets’ sensitive paws, and should be avoided.

5. Never leave them in a car on a warm day. Even when parked in the shade, hot cars can prove fatal for pets.

Signs of heat-related illness

- Excessive panting

- Dizziness, staggering

- Lethargy, weakness

- Drooling, salivating

- Vomiting

If your pet is showing any of these signs then we highly recommend calling Dr Paws Lane Cove on (02) 9428 1174 and our friendly team will be able to help.

www.drpaws.com.au/lanecove/