Animal health professionals are warning pet owners to take extra care of their animals this summer, with record high temperatures posing serious dangers.
A number of incidents have already been reported in Narrabri this month where dogs have overheated due to exertion during the heat of the day, being locked in hot cars or as a
result of being left in areas without adequate shade and water.
Local veterinarian Josie Meagher warns that a dog’s organs start cooking once its body temperature climbs above 40 degrees Celsius. She explains why they’re much more susceptible to high temperatures than humans.
“Dogs lose most of their heat through panting and they don’t sweat, so when the air around them is warmer than their body temperature, for instance in a hot car, they can’t lose heat quickly enough,” she said.
“A normal body temperature for a dog is 37.5 to 37.9 degrees Celsius but once they hit 40 degrees, they get internal organ damage which can be irreversible, particularly in the kidneys.
“Overweight dogs, or dogs with very short faces like pugs, are at a higher risk of overheating.”
Dogs suffering heat stress will pant excessively, salivate, develop brick red coloured gums, and become very lethargic. They may also become nauseous and start vomiting.
Ms Meagher said owners can start the process of cooling a dog down before bringing them to the vet.
“You can start to cool down your dog by putting them in front of a fan, and putting a wet towel over them or just spraying them with cool water,” she explained.
“The thing not to do is dump them in an ice bath, something like that is too aggressive.
“Treatment of heat stress in animals can be a very long drawn out process, once they get to us we continue to cool them and give intravenous fluids, then we go through certain drugs to settle down inflammation, like steroids.
“We might also start them on antibiotics because the damage can allow bacterial entry through the gut, it can take weeks of fluid therapy afterwards to get them back on track.”
Local vets have already begun to see cases of heat distress in animals.
“Around the beginning of summer we’re starting to see dogs coming in that have been overworked, and overheated due to exertion. Usually they’re pigging dogs but sometimes it’s caused by going on long runs,” Ms Josie Meagher added.
The RSPCA estimates that in summer, the average temperature inside a vehicle will be double the outside temperature, and a parked vehicle with the windows up only takes ten minutes to heat up.
There’s a hefty fine for leaving a dog in a hot car, or failing to exercise appropriate care in any way when in charge of an animal. Thoughtless owners can attract fines of up to $5500, or a jail sentence of 6 months, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.
Inspector Ned Gligorevic from the Narrabri Police Station is urging dog owners to be responsible for their animals and always make sure they have access to adequate food, water and shade.
“It’s a timely reminder coming into the summer months, not to leave dogs locked in vehicles with the windows up for any length of time,” he said.