Keeping pets safe in the heat
Guyana is hot all year. Heatstroke can kill a dog in under an hour. Here is how to prevent it and what to do.
General guidance, awaiting review by a Guyanese vet. Always ask a vet about your own animal.
Dogs and cats cool themselves mostly by panting, which works poorly in hot, humid air. Flat-faced breeds (pugs, bulldogs, shih tzus, Persian cats), overweight pets, old pets and dogs with thick coats are at the highest risk.
Prevent it
- Shade and water all day. A tied or penned dog must always reach shade as the sun moves, and a bowl that cannot tip over. Check water twice a day.
- Never leave a pet in a car, even with the windows cracked, even for a few minutes. A parked car becomes an oven very quickly.
- Walk early or late. Before 8am or after 5pm. Press the back of your hand on the road for 5 seconds: if it is too hot for you, it is too hot for paws.
- Zinc roofs and concrete yards hold heat. Give a raised bed or a shaded patch of grass or earth.
- Do not shave double-coated dogs to the skin; the coat protects from sunburn. Brush out loose undercoat instead.
Warning signs of heatstroke
Heavy panting that does not settle, thick drool, bright red or pale gums, wobbling, vomiting, collapse or seizures.
What to do
- Move the animal into shade or a cool room.
- Wet the body with cool (not ice-cold) water, especially the belly, armpits and paws, and fan them.
- Offer small sips of water. Do not force water into the mouth.
- Go to a vet straight away, even if they seem to recover. Heatstroke damages organs in ways you cannot see.