The dog days of summer
are upon us so let’s not forget about our furry friends when it comes to heat
safety.
Just as people can suffer from
heat-related illness and death, so can our pets.
Dogs tend to be more at risk because they love to be with
their owners, as do their owners love to be with them.
Whether it is the park or the beach, owners
need to know what to do to make sure their pet is as happy and comfortable as
they are.
Try to
keep your pet off dark pavement.
Owners do not think of what it would be like to walk on it
barefoot, as our pets do.
Pets
get thirsty too.
If you feel
thirsty, then your pet is already dehydrated.
Be sure to bring water with you when you
trek out for a walk on those hot days.
If you
take your pet to the beach make sure your pet goes into the water.
Have a blanket for your pet too.
Would you feel comfortable lying on hot
sand?
Remember,
if it is too hot for you outside then it is too hot for your pet to be
outside.
Let them stay inside or
leave them behind if you are going out.
Cars are very dangerous for pets in the summer heat.
Leaving your pet in the car on a hot summer
day can be devastating.
If you plan on
going someplace that you cannot bring your pet, you are better off leaving your
pet at home.
If it happens to be 80
degrees out and you were to leave your pet in the car for a mere ten minutes,
the inside temperature of the vehicle will have already reached over 100 degrees.
After 30 minutes, the inside temperature will
have reached at least 120 degrees. This is if it is only 80 degrees out.
Contrary to popular believe, pets cannot handle heat better
than a human being. Their body temperature is only a few degrees warmer than
ours and they do not sweat like humans do.
Pets can suffer heat stroke just like us, but it happens much more
rapidly. There are specific things to look for to make sure that you can
protect your pet from suffering a heat stroke.
Stress
in pets often causes rapid heart rate, which combined with heat can
quickly cause heat stroke.
A
stressful situation could be a family trip or an outdoor park with lots of
people and other pets around.
Panting,
vomiting, and grey-blue discoloring of the tongue are signs that heat
stroke is setting in and action should be taken.
If in the unfortunate case your pet does start to show signs
of heat stroke, give the pet plenty of room temperature water, cold water will
make things worse, upsetting the pets stomach.
Ice cubes, fans, spray bottles, and damp towels will all help alleviate
the heat stroke.
In extreme cases your
pet may go unconscious from heat stroke.
Take immediate action!
Hose down
or submerse your pet in cool water and direct a fan on your pet to get the body
temperature down.
Once your pet is
stabilized, call your vet.
It is
important to get the temperature down before calling the vet, because if you
wait too long, it could be too late.
Our pets are an important part of our summer fun.
Having the knowledge can make the difference
in your pet’s health during the summer months.
Making sure they are safe and healthy will
keep the summer fun alive.
·Slow down.
Avoid strenuous activity. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous
activities. Get plenty of rest to allow your natural "cooling
system" to work. If you must do strenuous work, do it during the coolest
part of the day, which is usually in the morning, before 7 a.m.
·Avoid too much
sunshine. Sunburn slows the skin's ability to cool itself. The sun will
also heat the inner core of your body, resulting in dehydration. Use a
sunscreen lotion with a high sun protection factor rating.
·Stay indoors
as much as possible. If air conditioning is not available, stay on the
lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Even in the warmest weather, staying
indoors, out of sunshine, is safer than long periods of exposure to the sun.
·Dress
appropriately. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing
that will cover as much skin as possible. Lightweight, light-colored clothing
reflects heat and sunlight and helps maintain normal body temperature. Cover
as much skin as possible to avoid sunburn and over-warming effects of
sunlight on your body.
·Drink plenty
of fluids, even if you do not feel thirsty. Injury and death can occur
from dehydration, which can happen quickly and unnoticed. Water is the safest
liquid to drink during heat emergencies. Your body needs water to keep cool.
·NEVER leave children or pets alone in
closed vehicles. Temperatures inside a closed vehicle can reach over 140
degrees within minutes. Exposure to such high temperatures can kill in
minutes.
Source:
Ohio
Committee for Severe Weather Awareness
CoshoctonCounty has an Emergency Telephone Calling System named
“CODE RED”. This calling system has the
capability to call every phone in the county within a short period of time, or
targeted areas as needed in the event of an emergency. The calling system is
used for Emergency Communication to county residents and can be triggered by
personnel from several emergency response agencies within the county. The phone
numbers called are the ones recorded in a database of
CoshoctonCounty
telephones.
A NEW CAPABILITY HAS BEEN ADDED TO OUR CALLING SYSTEM
Each resident of Coshocton
County can now add additional phone number(s) to the data base to be sure they
are contacted if a call is placed to notify them of an emergency situation.
Your street/road address is very important so a call will only be placed to you
if your address is affected by the emergency condition.
By using this capability,
you can add not just your home number but a cell phone number if you would like
to receive the call on it.
To add a name and phone
number(s), go to the Coshocton County Web Site:
Then click on the red and
black
CODE RED icon at the top of the page and follow the directions to add the
number(s) you would like to add to the data base.
CODERED
You may also access the
CODE
RED icon from these additional sites:
