Protect your Pets as our very hot summer continues? ? Austin Parks ...

We?re passing on some great information from the City?s Town Lake Animal Shelter on protecting your pets in this record heat and drought?Please pass this on?.

by?Town Lake Animal Center?on?Tuesday, June 21, 2011?at?2:16pm

?Pets cool themselves the same way humans do?through the evaporation of sweat produced by the body,? said Dr. Linda Czisny, one of?Town?Lake?Animal?Center?s veterinarians. ?The problem pets have is that?they only have sweat glands on the soles of their feet. If that limited sweating isn?t enough, they pant. But, if the air they pant is just as hot as they are, they?re unable to cool down.?

The result can be heat-related stress, heat exhaustion and even death. High humidity can make the heat even more deadly, since it slows the evaporation rate. If a dog?s or cat?s temperature reaches 108 degrees,?brain damage can occur after just a few minutes.

?Heat-related deaths often take pet owners by surprise, because a pet may seem to do just fine in the heat for years,? Czisny said. ?We need to remember that any time a pet has to work overly hard to stay cool, it?takes a toll on the body?s systems, so the pet may not be able to survive the next day?s high temperatures. That?s especially true for older animals or those whose health is already compromised in some way.?

Prevention is the best course of action when it comes to pets and the ?dog days? of summer. Allowing your pet to stay inside during the heat of the day, in air-conditioned comfort, is the best prevention.

If that?s not possible, here are a few things you can do to help your pet stay healthy in the heat:
Make sure your pet always has access to shade. Remember that shade moves throughout the day, so check to make sure there?s something in the yard that will provide shade for your pet all day.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion in dogs and cats usually start with heavy panting, followed by huffing, puffing, or gasping for air. The animal may have difficulty walking or getting up because of dizziness, and may?collapse or lose consciousness. If you observe these symptoms, you should immediately take steps to cool the animal down.

1. Get the animal out of the heat and into an air-conditioned place, if possible.
2. Provide a drink of cold water and rinse or spray your pet with cool water.
3. Direct a fan toward the animal while its coat is damp.
4. ?If necessary, place ice bags around the animal?s head.
5. ?As soon as the animal has cooled off, take it to the veterinarian for medical treatment.

Source: http://austinparks.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/protect-your-pets-as-our-very-hot-summer-continues/

ocd rofl rofl pilipinas got talent season 2 pilipinas got talent season 2 heath ledger ims