Your Car…The Oven

Every summer, animals left in unattended cars suffer brain damage and die from heatstroke:
On mild or cloudy days, with windows open, a parked vehicle quickly becomes a furnace.If you think your companion is suffering from heatstroke, immediately remove him or her to a cool, shady area.

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• Try to slowly lower the animal’s temperature by placing in cool, not cold, water.
• Apply ice to the head and neck.
• Get to a veterinarian as soon as possible as follow-up care will be critical to his survival.Your companions are as vulnerable to sunburn and skin cancer as you are and may require sunscreen on their nose and
ears. Light-colored animals are particularly sensitive to the sun.

Other breeds:

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Take special precautions with old or overweight animals, or those with heart or lung diseases, in hot weather. Snub-nosed dogs (bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos, Pugs, Shih Tzus, etc.) have compromised respiratory systems and must be kept in air-conditioning.

Install shade blinds on car windows and never leave animals unattended. A car can quickly
become an oven. Also, animals left alone are vulnerable to theft.

Heat Stroke in Dogs/Cats

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Stroke is a dangerous condition that takes the lives of many animals every year. A dog’s normal body temp is 99.5~102.5º.

At 105~106º, the pet is at risk for developing heat exhaustion.

If the body temperature rises to 107º, your pet has entered the critical zone of heat stroke.
With heat stroke, irreversible damage and death can occur.

At Highest Risk: puppies to 6 months; older (large breeds 7+ years, small breeds 14+); short muzzle/snout; snort/wide head; ill~overweight~over-exerted; black or thick coats; dehydrated; ANY existing medical conditions.

DANGER SIGNS:
• rapid panting
• bright red tongue
• red or pale gums
• thick, sticky saliva
• weak/dizzy
• vomiting/diarrhea
• shock
• coma

Warning signs

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An overheating dog may appear sluggish, unresponsive or disorientated… probably panting hard.
Gums, tongue and conjunctiva of the eyes may be bright red. He may even start vomiting.

Eventually he/she will collapse, suffer a seizure and may go into a coma.

Car windows act to both absorb the sun’s rays and insulate your vehicle: The inside of a car can heat up to 110
degrees Fahrenheit in only ten minutes on an 80º day

A heat-stricken animal can die in minutes but proper care may save its life.