Humane Society of Central Oregon offers hot-weather precautions to keep your pets safe and cool

 BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As the summer heat returns to Central Oregon, the Humane Society of Central Oregon would like to remind pet owners that the best place for their pet is inside a cool house.

Following are some tips to keep your pet safe as temperatures hover around 90 degrees on the High Desert.

Dogs and cats cannot cool their body temperatures as efficiently as humans. Older, short muzzle and overweight dogs are more likely to overheat during hot weather. They should be kept indoors and can benefit from fans, cooling mats, cooling jackets and wading pools. 

·      If your pet is outside during the day, remember to provide protection from the sun and plenty of fresh, cool water. You can provide a wading pool to aid in cooling.

·         Leaving your pet in a parked car can be a deadly mistake.  The temperature inside a car can reach over 100 degrees in a few minutes.  Even partially open windows won’t protect your pet from heatstroke. 

·         Exercise your dog in the morning or evening when temperatures and pavement are cool. The paw pads can get injured from the hot pavement and melted tar can get stuck to pad and hair. Pets need exercise but do it in the cooler hours of the day. Press your hand on pavement for 10 seconds, and if it’s not tolerable for you, it’s too hot for your pets. Hiking trails and dirt also retain the heat.

·         Dogs in truck beds can suffer injury or heat stroke.  Veterinarians know all too well dogs that have fallen out of the truck bed which resulted in severely injured dogs or motor vehicle accidents from people swerving to avoid the dog. If you cannot touch the hot truck bed with your bare hand, your dog should not be on the hot metal. Debris from the road damages eyes.

“Every year the Humane Society of Central Oregon warns people to keep their pets safe from the dangers of warm temperatures,” says Lynne Ouchida, community outreach manager.  “Unfortunately, every year we hear of animals needlessly suffering from heat stroke.  When summer heat hits, the City of Bend animal control receive four to eight calls per day regarding dogs left in hot cars.”

The Humane Society of Central Oregon has posters available for businesses and car windshield flyers that educate people on the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars.  The educational flyers list the warning signs of a pet suffering from heat exhaustion or stroke.

For more information, call the Humane Society of Central Oregon at 541.382.3537 or visit hsco.org.