Keep pets indoors during the day as soaring temperatures can kill, vets warn owners

Pet owners in the UAE are being advised to watch closely how their pets are coping with the summer heat.

Temperatures reached 51°C at the end of last month, the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology said, with a feels-like reading of 66°C.

“Dogs and cats should be kept indoors in this weather and walk only at cooler times of the day,” said Dr Susan Aylott, founder of Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi.

“There are boots you can put on dogs so it stops their paws burning. Some cats are used to being in the desert heat, but we’re finding there’re a lot more pets that are being abandoned. Because they’re not used to being outdoors they can’t survive.”

Hundreds of cats have been abandoned on Abu Dhabi streets by people leaving the country.

“You will see a lot of street cats trying to get into shops to get in the AC because it can overload their hearts and can be fatal,” Dr Aylott said. “We also have a surge in people who leave the country and their cats outside. It’s immoral and unethical.

She called for a department to look after the welfare of domestic animals.

“Shelters and charities are usually full,” Dr Aylott said. “Street cats are also not sterilised and reproducing so there’s a knock-on effect.”

Also of great importance was to ensure pets were not locked in cars.

“They need to be in shelter,” Dr Aylott said. “There’s education needed for people to know they have to keep dogs out of hot cars because they can die in a minute.”

Evelyn Priess, executive management member of the Emirates Animal Welfare Society, said some people simply did not care.

“There is no awareness that heat can kill an animal,” Ms Priess said. “I have a saluki and they love the sun, but I understand the sun can kill him. Some breeds are more likely to withstand heat than others.”

Snub-nosed dogs, huskies, St Bernards and rottweilers are less capable of surviving in extreme heat.