Your pets are in danger in this heat
dubai — As temperatures in the UAE continue to regularly reach scorching levels, pet owners are being warned to take steps to mitigate the danger posed to their pets by the weather.
According to the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, temperatures of up to 51 degrees Celsius can ‘feel like’ 66°C when the humidity is taken into account.
Dr Lila Miller, veterinary adviser at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), noted that “unlike us, dogs and cats don’t release heat by sweating, leaving them particularly susceptible to heatstroke, which can make them feel ill within minutes”.
“Even the healthiest pets can suffer from dehydration, heatstroke and sunburn if overexposed to the heat,” she added. “Heatstroke can be fatal if not treated promptly.
In June, Emma-Leigh Pearson, DVM, a veterinarian with Medvet Animal Hospital Network, noted that dogs become more prone to heatstroke because they are not able to rapidly acclimatise to the changes in temperature.
“The primary goal in the treatment of heatstroke is to actively facilitate cooling. Methods of cooling in the heatstroke patient focus on evaporative and conductive mechanisms of heat dissipation,” she said.
Among the ways to keep animals cool are portable evaporative coolers — which are more economical than air conditioners and work far more quickly — especially in times when the weather becomes unbearably hot. “Traditional portable air-conditioning units are not only costly, they are often ineffective when they are placed outside,” said Thomas Morrison, marketing director, Portacool LLC. “If your pets spend most of their time in the garden, evaporative cooling will keep them safe and comfortable.”
reporters@khaleejtimes.com