Helping Pets Beat the Heat

"If it's too hot for us as humans, it's too hot for your pets," says Kimberly Wade with the Nevada Humane Society.

She says small critters and cats can be easily kept cool inside with the air conditioning on. While that is also true for your dogs, at some point they will likely need to go outside.

"That's who you walk, that's who you take hiking,that's who goes in the back yard," says Wade, "if you're going to keep them outside, keep them outside for very limited times, make sure there's plenty of shade and plenty of water."

She also says to avoid blacktop because it can burn the pads on their paws. Other than drinking water, they have misters and small pools to help the dogs outside stay cool.

Water is key for animals of all sizes says Dr. Joe Coli with the Comstock Equine Hospital. 

"The old adage you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink is very true," says Coli, "But typically if they have access to water, if it's fresh, it's cool, if they need it they'll drink it."

Coli says you just have to make sure there is plenty of it. In extreme heat, a horse's water consumption can double.

"On a normal day, a horse drinks about 10 gallons of water maybe less," says Coli, "On hot days like this, there water consumption can go up to 20 gallons or more."

He adds that heat isn't a direct cause of many calls for service but can make life more difficult. 

"I think those times when we do," says Coli, "it might be when an animal is sick or feverish to start with and the heat is just adding to the inability for them to regulate their body temperature."

Experts say no matter the animal, avoid letting them exercise during the hottest parts of the day. Instead, stick to the morning and evenings.

Some warning signs to look for in horses, Coli says is the lack of sweat. If your horse is sweating and then stops, it could be a sign of dehydration. For dogs, experts say to watch out for gray or discolored gums and excessive panting. 

Finally, for any animal, if they are acting lethargic or simply abnormal, it may be a sign of heat exhaustion.