hydration and environments protected from the sun, keys to avoid problems in the summer / cvpba
Veterinarians warned that high summer temperatures can affect the well-being of pets and offered recommendations to prevent heat stroke from making them sick.
Just as the heat affects people, it also impacts animals and from the College of Veterinarians of the Province of Buenos Aires they offered some guidelines to take into account.
The professionals remarked that in times when the heat exceeds historical records, care for animals is little taken into account, something that directly influences their well-being and even the continuation of the production chain.
In this framework, it was indicated that high temperatures, as well as lack or excess of rain, harm the environment, modify the metabolism and behavior of animals.
Heat stroke is one of the biggest risks they run. “Dogs, for example, unlike people, don’t have sweat glands on their bodies, so they can’t regulate their body heat through sweat; on the contrary, they do it through panting and sweat that is eliminated by the plantar pads and, in the case of cats, through licking”, explained a member of the CVPBA Small Animals Commission.
“The sensation of heat that an animal experiences depends not only on the ambient temperature, but also on the so-called effective temperature. This, in turn, results from the interaction of various factors, especially ambient temperature, relative humidity, ventilation and solar radiation”, warned the authorities of the Buenos Aires College of Veterinarians.
The Large Animals Commission indicated that dairy cattle, meat cattle, pigs and poultry also suffer from heat stress. “There is a negative impact on production and reproduction rates, reaching a significant increase in mortality rates,” it was reported.
As a result of that, it was expressed that certain situations must be foreseen to mitigate the effect of heat on the animals; especially when the ambient temperature exceeds 25 °C and the humidity reaches 50 percent for extended periods of time.
The veterinarians maintained that although the main resource for coping with the heat in animals is usually taking them for a walk or taking them outdoors, it is ignored that the temperature of the ground directly enters the animal’s body, often causing burns.
That is why the Provincial College of Veterinarians provided prevention measures in order to safeguard animal welfare. But it was requested that it be taken into account that there are common mitigation situations and other particular ones for each of the species.
A general recommendation for all animals is to provide them with shade and place them in ventilated places.
Provide them with water at will, clean and fresh; clean the drinkers.
It is also proposed to feed them during the coolest hours.
In the case of pets, it is suggested to take them for a walk at appropriate times, preferably in shady places. Under no circumstances leave them inside the cars.
In dogs with pathologies, respect their times and in case of having a walker, request individual walks.
If you are traveling with dogs or cats, take all the supplies you may need, your health book with up-to-date vaccinations; as well as verify that it meets all the requirements requested by the place of destination. If transporting them in vehicles, have a seat belt for dogs and a carrier for cats. In case of traveling abroad, carefully verify the requirements with Senasa to undertake the trip without unforeseen events.
For animals in production, avoid confinement; reduce waiting time in pens; do not transport during the hottest hours and avoid sanitary tasks during heat waves.
Although the list of recommendations is clear and its implementation is within everyone’s reach, in case of any doubt it was recommended to consult a registered veterinarian, in order to be able to provide more personalized attention to the animal in question.
