Central Oregon pet and livestock experts, owners share how to keep your animals safe during heat wave

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Triple-digit temperatures are expected over the next several days, which means animals need extra attention in beating the heat. In order to keep pets safe, owners need to take precautions. 

 "Do not leave your pets in your cars," Victoria Arbona, the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon's veterinary emergency doctor, said Wednesday. "It's really not safe to do at all during this time of the year. Even with the windows down, the temperatures can exceed 80 degrees within minutes."

It's also important to stay inside during the hottest times of the day -- plan walks early in the morning or late in the evening, when it cools down. 

If your animal is suffering heat-related illnesses, you'll notice vomiting, or they may get diarrhea. 

"When the internal body temperature goes up over, you know, 102 to 103 in a dog, and it stays that way, and it's undetected or untreated, and it can cause internal damage to not only the organs, but the brain," Arbona warned.

Summer beating down in the High Desert is not only affecting our furry cats and dogs. It's also affecting farmers' and ranchers' livestock.

Larkin Valley Ranch owner and operator Jeff Larkin said, "A lot of our cattle are drinking out of ponds and stuff like that. Knock on wood, hasn't been any problems with that."

The Larkin Valley Ranch in Redmond has about 100 animals, from sheep to cattle. 

During a heat wave, the ranch owner makes sure to keep them shaded and provide plenty of water as well as reducing stress. 

Larkin said, "If we have to work something on the real hot days, we do it really early in the morning, like in daylight when the temperatures are still down. I think that's just good livestock management -- keeping the stress out of your animals."

 You can identify heat stress by animals panting, loss of appetite and salivation, as well as being lethargic, and having increased water intake.