Keeping Your Dogs Safe In The Summer Heat

During the hot summer months, dogs can be at risk for heat stress or heat stroke.

Friends of White County Animals President Sharron Langford said inside dogs have a harder time coping with the heat, but outside dogs used to the temperatures cope better.

“I make sure that I have two sources of water in different locations in [case] one got turned over or something,” Langford said. “And then make sure that there’s shade at all times during the day.”

Langford said never leave your dog in a car. Within minutes, the temperature can rise to fatal levels.

Common signs of heat stroke include immobility, unresponsiveness, and excessive saliva. Langford said if your dog is showing these signs, call your veterinarian.

“If they’re under extreme stress, I would suggest gently putting water on their body and in their tongue and mouth to get some liquid into the dog and to cool its body down,” Langford said.

Small dogs and dogs with shorter snouts have a harder time coping with extreme heat, Langford said.