Tips for cats and dogs to spend the summer without scares

Heat waves don't just affect humans. High temperatures, heat, and tropical nights can also take a toll on our pets, which is why it's important to adjust their environment and daily activities so they can have the best possible summer. As veterinarian Jaume Martínez, from the El Masnou Veterinary Center, who has been caring for the health of pets for nearly forty years, explains, heat, "if they didn't live with us, they would experience it very well, because they would be still during the day, they wouldn't do anything, they would be in the shade, in a cool place. And even more so for cats, who are specialists at finding the coolest place to take refuge." As Martínez reflects, they would spend the day resting, trying to hydrate themselves when they could, "and it's at night that they would be more active: they would go to eat, they would go hunting, they wouldn't be making useless efforts." With us it's different: "Things change because we, obviously I'm thinking of dogs, take them for walks in places that can be asphalted or with surfaces that get very hot, and that makes them suffer the heat in a very different way."

Based on this premise, then, the veterinarian has a very clear first recommendation: "We must always avoid them being active during the hottest hours of the day, and if we want to go out with our dogs, we must do so first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon." In this regard, he reminds us that dogs reduce their temperature poorly and need to drink much more than us, "which is why when we go out, we must bring enough water for them and make sure we have water nearby to wet them." "We must also consider that we wear shoes and they don't, and that it's better to avoid surfaces that get very hot, like asphalt, which can reach over sixty degrees and cause burns." In the case of cats, Jaume Martínez acknowledges that it's a bit easier to manage very hot days, "since they are skilled at finding their comfort zone. However, the important thing is that they have fresh water available."

Heat can also lead to some behavioral changes, and we shouldn't be surprised if they are more apathetic and less inclined to do things. It will depend on the breed, but we shouldn't be surprised if they show little interest when we tell them to go out. As the veterinarian, a specialist in sports dogs, explains, it is common for them to exhibit "avoidance behaviors, meaning they try not to do anything." And how can we detect that they are suffering excessively from the heat? Often, in the case of dogs, explains Martínez, people see them panting all day and take it as if they were tired, but in reality they are sweating, and this indicates that they are very hot. In the case of cats, we can see it when we find them still and panting with their mouths open. To help them, it is best to facilitate airflow or place a fan to help change the temperature, because "they regulate heat by increasing their respiratory rate, taking in air and expelling it quickly." "This way they cool their chest cavity and, by contact, the rest of their body." In the case of dogs, another sign that they are very hot is when we see them drooling from their tongues. As for cats, you may notice that they become nervous and start panting or salivating excessively, or even that they tremble, vomit, or have gums that are a darker and more intense color than normal. In the face of any warning sign, consult the veterinarian quickly.

There are dog breeds that suffer from the heat even more, "all those considered derived from brachycephalids (those with flat noses), which have many more difficulties exchanging temperature, as they have more respiratory problems and more difficulty cooling the body," explains Jaume Martínez. And we must not forget that there are other aspects that influence heat management, such as age, weight, and physical condition. In any case, it can make us suspect that something is wrong "if they open their mouths and never close them and have their tongues out and you see their entire throat open without movement." "In this case, their groin will need to be cooled with fresh, not cold, water, wrapped in a towel soaked in cold water, and they should be taken to the veterinarian quickly," he states. As for cats, those at greater risk of suffering heatstroke are flat-faced cats, senior cats, obese cats, and those suffering from heart disease or respiratory problems.

Finally, regarding the activities we can do with dogs in the summer, the veterinarian suggests opting for water activities, if they like water, but without forgetting that although dogs are usually excellent swimmers, some do not swim well and get very tired. "In these cases, it would be good to put a flotation vest on them so they don't get so tired and don't expend so much energy," he concludes.