20
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
PETS: Extreme
temperatures expected
this week in Sisters
Continued from page 3
the doors of neighbors to see
if anyone has access to the
animal9s house. If possible,
bring the pet indoors.=
The Oregon Humane
Society encourages you to
leave your pet home and
inside when you dash to the
store or another errand. The
inside of a car heats up very
quickly. On an 85-degree
day, a car9s interior tempera-
ture can climb to 120 degrees
in 20 minutes, even with the
windows slightly open.
What to do if you see a pet
alone in a hot car:
" Write down the car9s
make, model, and license
plate number.
" If there are businesses
nearby, notify their managers
or security personnel and ask
them to make an announce-
ment to find the car9s owner.
" If the owner can9t be
found, call the nonemer-
gency number of the local
police and/or animal control
and wait by the car for them
to arrive.
Can you break a car win-
dow to save a life?
The public, as well as
police, can now break a car9s
window to rescue a pet or
child in imminent danger
without fear of being sued
for damages. The new law,
which took effect in June of
2017, protects people from
criminal and civil liability if
they break a car window to
save a child or animal who is
left alone and appears to be
in imminent danger.
Breaking a window is a
last resort: before a Good
Samaritan chooses to break a
car window, law enforcement
must be contacted (call police
or 911 in an emergency).
Rescuers must stay with the
animal until first responders
arrive or the owner of the car
returns.
The OHS urges pet own-
ers to be alert to the signs of
heat-related illness.
Symptoms of heatstroke
SUDOKU
include restlessness, exces-
sive thirst, heavy panting,
lethargy, lack of appetite,
dark tongue or gums, vomit-
ing, lack of coordination or
even collapse, and an internal
temperature over 104 degrees
Fahrenheit. Contact your
veterinarian immediately if
you notice these symptoms.
Quick action could save your
pet9s life.
Help your pet cool down:
First, get your pet out of
direct heat. Check for signs
of shock and take your pet9s
temperature if possible. Offer
water to drink. Then: use a
fan to blow cool air on the
pet; place water-soaked tow-
els (or running water) on the
pet9s head, neck, feet, chest,
and abdomen; rub isopropyl
alcohol (70 percent) on a
dog9s foot pads for cooling
(do not allow dog to ingest).
Do not use ice-cold water or
ice4use cool water to avoid
shock.
<During a heat crisis, the
goal is always to decrease the
animal9s body temperature
to 103 degrees Fahrenheit in
the first 10 to 15 minutes,=
the American Red Cross
states. <Once 103 degrees
Fahrenheit is reached, you
must stop the cooling process
because the body tempera-
ture will continue to decrease
and can plummet danger-
ously low if you continue to
cool the dog for too long.
<Even if you successfully
cool your pet down to 103
degrees Fahrenheit in the
first 10 to 15 minutes, you
must take the dog to a vet-
erinarian as soon as possible
because consequences of heat
stroke will not show up for
hours or even days. Potential
problems include abnormal
heart rhythms, kidney fail-
ure, neurological problems,
and respiratory arrest.=
Pavement, asphalt, metal,
and even sand that have been
heated by the sun can burn
dogs9 paw pads. If the sur-
face is too hot for your bare
hand or foot, it9s too hot for
your dog9s feet. Pads can be
soft and more sensitive after
swimming, so take heed if
your pup refuses to walk on
the pavement after a swim.
Level: Easy
Some ways to avoid pad
burns:
" Walk your dog early
or late in the day, out of the
heat.
" Walk frequently when
it9s cool to build up callus on
the pads.
" Walk on the grass when
hot surfaces are unavoidable.
" Moisturize your dog9s
pads daily with paw balms or
creams.
" Lay down a wet towel
for your dog to stand on
when grassy areas are not
available.
Signs of burned pads
include limping or refusing
to walk, licking or chewing
at the feet, pads darker in
color, missing part of pad,
blisters or redness on the feet.
First aid for burned pads:
Keep the foot area cool and
clean. Immediately flush
with cool water and a gentle
antibacterial such as beta-
dine. Get the dog to a grassy
area or, if possible, carry him/
her. Keep the dog from lick-
ing the wounds. For minor
burns, spread the area with
antibacterial ointment and
cover with a loose bandage.
For serious burns, take the
dog to your vet for further
treatment. This is important
to prevent infection and fur-
ther damage.
Generally speaking, keep
your dogs off of hot surfaces
whenever possible.
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