Keeping pets safe in the heat

Digital Assignment Editor

The City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department is giving residents tips on keeping their pets safe as temperatures climb.

They want to remind residents that extreme heat can be life-threatening for pets within minutes.

A few simple precautions can keep animals healthy and comfortable.

Hot weather safety tips:

• Never leave pets in parked vehicles. Even with windows cracked, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise to deadly levels within minutes.
• Walk dogs during the coolest parts of the day. Early mornings and evenings are safest. Midday temperatures can quickly cause overheating.
• Protect paws from hot pavement. If the ground is too hot for the back of your hand for seven seconds, it is too hot for your pet’s paws.
• Provide plenty of fresh, cool water at all times.
• Give pets access to shade whenever they are outdoors, and make sure it remains available throughout the day as the sun moves.
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion, including excessive panting, drooling, weakness, vomiting, bright red gums, stumbling, or collapse. If your pet shows these signs, move them to a cool area immediately and seek veterinary care as soon as possible.
• Keep brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds, senior pets, young animals, and pets with medical conditions indoors as much as possible during extreme heat, as they are especially vulnerable.
• For animals in immediate distress from the heat, contact AWD (311). If the situation is life-threatening or an animal is trapped in a hot vehicle, call 911 right away.