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With some days reaching almost 40 degrees last summer in Hazelbrook, the risk of heat stroke is very real. As it begins to warm up, we want to remind you of some tips and tricks to keep your pet cool and to avoid heat stroke.

Firstly, we strongly advise against leaving your dogs in the car even on days that don’t feel too hot. Tests conducted by Melbourne’s Metropolitan Ambulance Service on a 29 degree day with the car’s air conditioning having cooled the interior to a comfortable 20 degrees showed it took just 10 minutes for the temperature to more than double to 44 degrees. In a further 10 minutes it had tripled to a deadly 60.2 degrees! Dogs are particularly at risk as they cannot physically cool themselves if the air around them is too hot as they cannot sweat like humans. If you see a hot pet in a car and cannot locate the owner, we recommend calling the nearest police station or 000.

We recommend walking and exercising your pets in the early morning or cooler evenings and not in the middle of the day. The midday sun, warm temperatures and hot roads are a recipe for disaster especially for some of our squishy faced pets like pugs, bulldogs and Persians.

Signs of heat stroke include heavy panting, increased respiratory rate, excessive drooling, and a drunken gait. In some cases, these signs will be followed by collapse and or unconsciousness. If your pet is suffering from heat stroke, move the pet indoors and away from the heat, offer fresh water and wet down with cool, damp towels. It is not recommended to cover the pet with wet towels as this can trap heat and delay the cooling process.

Heat stroke can be fatal and should be treated as an emergency so your pet should be seen by a vet as soon as possible.

A fun way to keep pets cool during the summer months is to make ice blocks! These can be made with low sodium broth, meat, vegetables or kibble and frozen in ice cream containers. Once frozen, turn them out onto the grass or into your pet’s bowl. This can keep them cool while being entertained for hours!