What to Remember While Caring for Pets and Livestock in Summer Heat

Pet owners should remember that outdoor pets should have access to shade and plenty of fresh, clean, cool water. Animals kept indoors should have proper ventilation. Dogs should be walked in the early morning or late evening to avoid the extreme heat and take advantage of the cooler periods of the day.

In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf signed the Motor Vehicle Extreme Heat Protection Act. This law protects law enforcement or other public safety officials who remove a pet believed to be in danger from an unattended hot car. The law does not protect citizens, so any person that sees a pet in a car and believes they’ve been neglected or are in danger should immediately call local authorities.

If you see any of the following heat exhaustion signs in your pet, seek immediate veterinary care:

• Anxiousness

• Excessive panting

• Restlessness

• Excessive drooling

• Abnormal tongue color

• Collapse

Livestock owners should take appropriate precautions to protect their animals from high temperatures that can cause them to suffer from heat-related stress and illness. Heavier, fattened livestock, those with dark coats, and chronic health conditions are at the greatest risk for stress from heat.

Signs of stress in livestock include:

• Animals bunching together

• Heavy panting

• Slobbering

• Lack of coordination

• Trembling