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With the longest day (June 21st) just passed, indeed, summer is upon us. Let's say that we find ourselves in the grip of a long heat wave. What can be done to protect our vulnerable pets in the hot weather? Considering there have been reports of dogs, even police dogs dying accidently through getting left unattended in the car during a heat wave this is an important question. Then there have been other pet deaths related to heat overexposure... Remember, pets are more insulated against the cold than being able to deal with hot weather. Many pet deaths through heat overexposure could have been avoided and this widespread problem still persists. Could you forgive yourself if this happened to your pet when you were responsible? So, to prevent the death, here are a number of ways to protect your pets during the hot weather in the form of a never and do list. The NEVER list Never leave your pet unattended in the car: The RSPCA report that in some circumstances the inside temperature of a car can be double to that of the outside, leaving the animal left inside vulnerable to a slow agonising death. Some places such as a number of states in the USA have made it a criminal offence to leave pets alone in a car during hot sultry weather. On similar lines to the above Never leave pets in places like glass porches or conservatories or any other enclosure likely to be the effect of the heat. Never ignore the signs of overheating or heatstroke. The signs include: Excessive heavy panting, continual thirstiness, heart racing, a general weariness, inability to stand, sickness, diarrhoea, reddened tongue or gums, forever drooling and unconsciousness. 109 degrees F or higher indicates heatstroke (temperature's as for example in the case of dogs can be taken rectally). Never fail to take action if any of the above is observed. Never leave your pet alone outside unless there is a guarantee of keeping it in a cool shaded area. Never ignore the fact that animals such as dogs, cats and mice have sweat glands located at their paws where sweating occurs. Don't fail to pay heed to sweating by providing water for replenishment of lost fluid and perhaps immersing the pet's paws in cool water... The ALWAYS list Always make sure your pet has a plentiful water supply in convenient places. Watch out for spillages leaving the container/vessel empty. Animals, when thirsty, are known to drink any fluid they can find so keep anything noxious like antifreeze well away. Always provide your pet with cool, well-ventilated and shaded areas in the house. Knowing that animals like cats and dogs doze for 16 hrs a day, make sure they have cool flooring. Always let your pets out or take them for walks at the coolest times of the day, such as early morning or late evening. If the heat starts to kick in then shorten the outing... Always make sure pets with long hair coats are regularly, appropriately clipped and groomed. Always remember certain pets need that extra attention, for examples, bulky, muscle-bound dogs or those having short flat noses. Then there are puppies or older dogs and those on medication. Always look out for other signs caused by the heat like skin rashes, irritations and excessive scratching... Overall More information can obtained from the RSPCA. Then, there is plenty of good online information on how to protect your pet during the hot weather. Some natural health websites exist which I could highly recommend. Indeed if there are any doubts, problems or complications... consult a vet. If you liked reading this article then go to www.NewParadigm.ws for more related articles including a free download PDF. NewParadigm is a portal to transformation, consciousness, spirituality, mind, body, health, alternative media and much more... Hosted by Paul A Philips. Once again the link is: http://www.newparadigm.ws/
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