Protecting your pet from sunstrokes
colpi-sole Anyone travelling during summer should take precautions to protect his/her animal from high temperatures. Excessive heat and high humidity levels can cause sunstroke, which is sometimes fatal to our four-legged friends, just as for human beings.

Cats and dogs are subject to sunstrokes also when the ordinary heat loss mechanisms cannot make up for the heat overload. Body temperature becomes exceedingly high, reaching 41-43 °C.

Remember that cats and dogs do not sweat, and their organisms employ an air cooling system, with short frequent breaths, causing a rapid intake of air that passes through the wet surface of the upper respiratory tract, therefore providing for an increased heat loss. 

If an animal is left in an exceedingly hot place and presents symptoms, such as panting, increased salivation, staggering, difficulty in walking - in the most severe cases cyanotic mucosa, fits and coma - it may be due to sunstroke.

If such an event should occur, the animal stemperature can be decreased by ventilating or wetting him/her with compresses of cool water, particularly the head, groin, armpits and plantar pads.

Any action undertaken to lower the temperature should be performed gradually (do not use cold water), in order to avoid circulatory problems. After first aid, animals should be taken to the local veterinarian.

In order to prevent emergency situations, which may seriously endanger our friend's life, it is necessary to carefully consider the various factors that increase the risk of sunstroke, particularly: old age, belonging to brachycephalous races, such as bulldogs or pugs (races with rather small upper respiratory tracts compared to the size of the dog), the presence of problems or pathologies blocking the upper respiratory tract, obesity, excessive heat with little or no circulation of air in the environment, thick fur and any previous sunstrokes that may have altered the animal's hypothalamic thermoregulation system.

A few minutes can be enough, even buying a newspaper, to cause serious harm to our four-legged friend in the car under the sun. Therefore, if you do notice a dog inside a parked car whose windows are lowered only a few centimetres, immediately call the police to release the animal. And if aid is late to come, and you fear for the animal's life, better take the responsibility to break the window and save the dog's life.

The general rules that need to be observed are the following: fit your car windows with sunshades; never leave your dog in the car unless for very short periods, and only after parking in the shade or making sure the air circulates easily; never leave a dog roped in places exposed to direct sunlight; always make sure there is enough water available for him/her to drink; go for a walk with your animal early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and not during the hottest hours of the day.

Heat also favours the production of germs, as well as food fermentation and spoiling. It occurs to milk, for example: never leave your cat's milk bowl under the sun, it may be very dangerous. Water should always be available, and water bowls refilled frequently.

If your dog has a kennel in the yard, it should be moved to the coolest spot. When your cat or dog are old, overweight or have health problems, it is best to remember that they will suffer heat even more.

Finally, remember that animals with white or fair fur are like people with fair skin: they are more sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

In addition to any suggestions we may give, the best way to help your cat and dog is still sound common sense and lots of love.