Safeguard your pets from summertime heat
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Just as with humans, dogs should not be left confined or unattended in a hot car, where temperatures can rise as much as 20 degrees in 10 minutes.
by ANNETTE JOYCE While the lazy days of summer are often filled with vacations, pool parties and cookouts, pet owners are reminded that high temperatures, which can hover around 90 to 95 degrees in our area during the hottest part of the day, can be extremely hazardous for your pets.
NORTHWEST Loving care for pets ANIMAL HOSPITAL (336) 643-8984
and their families
Full-service medicine, surgery and dentistry Surgical and therapeutic laser
Wendy Camp, DVM
1692-J NC Hwy 68 N, Oak Ridge • (336) 643-8984 www.nw-animal-hospital.com
10
JULY 7 - 20, 2022
The Northwest Observer
Hallmarks of North Carolina summers, extreme heat and humidity can result in dehydration and heatstroke for both humans and pets. As a pet owner, it’s up to you to ensure your pet isn’t in a situation that could lead to these potentially fatal conditions. Dr. Angel Fuller, veterinarian and owner of King’s Crossing Animal Hospital in Stokesdale, confirms that heatstroke or hyperthermia can occur when a pet’s temperature reaches 106 degrees or higher, and these conditions can come on quickly. Pets are unable to sweat like humans, so the effects of heat are felt more quickly and strongly. Heatstroke, which occurs when a pet’s body mechanisms •cannot Totally local since 1996 keep its body temperature within
a safe range, is considered a pet emergency. If not treated, it can result in gastrointestinal upset, internal organ dysfunction, internal bleeding, infection, or in severe cases, death. Many heatstroke cases in pets occur when they’re left in a vehicle on a hot day. This has become such a common occurrence that 31 states have enacted laws which either prohibit leaving an animal confined or unattended in a vehicle under dangerous conditions, or provide civil immunity (protection from being sued) for a person who rescues a distressed animal from a vehicle. That prohibition exists in North Carolina; however, only certain authorized people – such as animal control officers, firefighters and law enforcement officers – have civil immunity to rescue the animal. Fuller’s best advice for the welfare of your pet and adherence to the law is simply to use common sense – i.e., don’t leave your pet in a vehicle in high temperatures. “If that’s not possible, have the air conditioner on but have your pet secure
