CLEVELAND — We have to pay special attention to our four-footed friends when temperatures get as high as they will later this week.
Your pet may want to go for a walk but the pavement can be dangerously hot and it can be very painful for them. Symptoms of burnt paw pads include sloughing of the skin, redness, irritation and blisters. Your pet can even sometimes bleed depending on the damage done to its feet.
When it’s 95 degrees outside, the concrete can reach 130 degrees and the asphalt is even hotter at 143 degrees. If your pet has pale gums, thick or sticky saliva, rapid panting or diarrhea, those are signs that its body temperature is too high and they need to cool down.
To avoid dangerous incidents with your dog or cat, try using paw booties when they have to walk on pavement. Keep a wet towel, an ice pack or wading pool for your pet to lay in when outside.
Don’t forget the water! Even adding ice to the water might be a nice treat for your pet. Consider a haircut but leave at least an inch of hair because that’ll protect it from sunburn.
In short, do whatever you have to do to keep your pets from suffering in the heat. Dogs with shorter snouts like pugs or bulldogs have a harder time panting so remember that when you take them outside.