BOISE, Idaho — You don't have to spend much time outside to notice the extreme heat and the same goes for your pets! I’m your neighborhood reporter Jessica Davis with some important reminders on how to keep your pet safe this summer.
- Dr. Jessica Zehr at Habitat Veterinary Hospital says, the best time to walk your dog is in the morning before 9 am or in the evening after 8.
- If you decide to walk your pet during the hottest hours, you want to bend down and touch the ground. If its too hot for you it's too hot for you pets paws.
- Dr. Zehr says, one of the easiest ways to tell if your pet is dehydrated, would be to feel its gums usually they're nice and moist and slick if you feel their kind of tacky and dry that's kind of the easiest way to tell of they're dehydrated.
“We've been out here for about 30 minutes or so and she's almost through this so when this is gone we're gone, she takes lots of little breaks on her own and drinks water and I also watch really careful her tongue for dehydration.”
During the peak summer heat she and her dog Molly head to the park early to avoid high temperatures. It's incredibly important, because as hot as it is for us, it's even hotter for our pets.
“Imagine it like you're wearing a fur coat or fur boots. That will avoid the hottest part of the day in terms of activities over heating and also avoid their paws because they are at risk of burning their paws on hot asphalt and things like that,”
Doctor Jessica Zehr at Habitat Veterinary Hospital, says with the excessive heat warning across the valley, the best time to walk your dog is in the morning before 9 am or in the evening after 8.
If you're going to take your dog for a walk during the hottest hours of the day... you want to bend down and feel the asphalt. If it’s too hot for you, it’s going to be too hot for you pets paws.
“I’ve seen a couple of dogs with burned paw pads from walking on hot concrete, heat stroke is kind of the main really serious thing that we worry about. We haven't seen any so far this year but it definitely is possible. The easiest way to tell would be to feel its gums usually they're nice and moist and slick, if you feel their kind of tacky and dry that's kind of the easiest way to tell of they're dehydrated."
Like molly, I saw many dogs hydrating while at the park, but Dr. Zehr has an easy way to check if your hot dog is in need of a cool drink.
To avoid dehydration, make sure you have a water source nearby or bring your own water because remember it’s hot, but imagine wearing a fur coat.
"If the pavement is really hot we do put the booties on. In grass and gravel I’m not as concerned but we watch the pavement and asphalt pretty carefully,”
