The extra heat is going to be extreme in Western Washington over the next day-and-a-half, so its important to keep pets cool.
Seattle Humane shared their tips for making sure your pets don’t get overheated.
Brandon Macz is the spokesperson for Seattle Humane and admitted that the heat going into the 90s is not something we’re used to in the Pacific Northwest.
“It does feel like we’re getting used to seeing more and more of this in the summertime,” he said.
Seattle Humane knows extreme heat is not common in our area and feels strange to our pets.
For some dog owners like Doug Anderson, who took his dog out early on 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle Tuesday morning, it’s a balancing act to keep his dog cool.
“He gets pretty hot, so I cool him off with a wet towel and stuff,” he said.
Seattle Humane says never leave your pet in a parked car alone since the temperature can crank up to about 120 degrees.
Trips should be taken when the temperature is cooler, if possible. Macz says if a dog has its body temperature rise close to 110 degrees, it can suffer brain damage or die.
“We have a new law on the books in Washington that pretty much holds people harmless if they see a pet or even a person that seems to be in a car or locked in a car that might be in jeopardy, they can break the windows out,” he said.
Taking a walk in the early morning or in the evening helps keep a dog’s paws from hitting the hot pavement potentially burn them. Feeling the sidewalk with bare feet is a good test to see if it’s too hot for paws. Always carry water for your pets, and don’t let your pet exert itself too much.
Anderson knows his dog often tries to escape the heat any way he can, “he likes to go in the shade.”
The symptoms for heatstroke in animals are panting, extra agitation, glazed eyes, trouble keeping balance or walking, vomiting, and a deep red or purple tongue.
If you notice these signs, get your pet to a cool place and apply cool water, but not too cold. Ice packs on the neck, head, and chest can also help. They can also have ice cubes to lick.
Macz says keeping pets inside and making efforts to cool them down are best.
“You can make lick mats that are frozen, you can keep the preoccupied inside, and keep them cool. You can freeze water bottles and get little ice packs and put them in dog beds,” he said.
For small pets, give them water-heavy snacks, like cucumbers or melons; a frozen ice pack in a pen gives smaller pets like rabbits something cool to lie next to.
Many pets, especially birds, should not be in direct sunlight on extra hot days.
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