Guests
Dr. Christopher Yach, West Flamingo Animal Hospital
Dr. Sheila Bilingsley, West Flamingo Animal Hospital
All those heat and air quality advisories apply to Spot and Whiskers as well, particularly doggies of a certain type. “Your smooshed-faced dogshave more breathing issues anyway,” says Dr. Shelia Billingsley. “Cats tend to be more prone to asthma, so even though they tend to be more indoors, we tend to see more asthmatic cats. The air quality affects us all.”
Drs. Christopher Yach and Sheila Billingsley have more suggestions for making sure your pets make it through the Las Vegas sweltering summer:
Signs of Sensitivity to Pollution
“Pets may have increased respiratory rates or are coughing or sneezing a little,” says Yach. “But usually it’s a coughing.”
Yach also says to watch for eye irritation. “Eye matter, red eyes -- particularly concerning is if the eyes are closed a little bit or if they’re rubbing their eyes, or if there is a green or yellow discharge,” you need to see a vet, says Yach.
Beat The Heat
Walks should be shorter when temperatures are this warm. “One thing that really helps my boxer when we go out is I have a cool coat for him, where it’s one of those evaporative cooling jackets,” says Billingsley.
Yach says to be particularly careful leaving animals outside in these temperatures. “Just because they have shade, doesn’t mean they’re cool under that shade.” Also, he says water dishes can tip over or overheat – and pets won’t drink hot water.
Signs of Heat Stroke
Watch for excessive panting, and other clues like high respiratory rate. “Especially if they’re in a stupor or if they’re acting clumsy or kind of drunk, it’s really bad. Or if their mucus membranes are really dry,” says Yach.
Keep Them Svelt
Because it’s difficult to give dogs a lot of exercise under these conditions, alternative measures to maintain a dog’s healthy weight are especially important. “It’s so much about just decreasing consumption,” says Billingsley.
Check out more tips on keeping pets cool here.