HEIGHTS Pet Hospital is warning residents about the risk of heat stroke in dogs following a fatality in Singleton on Wednesday.
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Vet nurse Stephanie Bluff said the owners were “distraught” by what happened – and is hopeful a similar situation won’t occur again.
“They were working [on Wednesday] while their pet was at home,” she explained.
“When they returned [home], they found the canine distressed and it collapsed.
“The pair brought her in and we treated her for heat stroke.
“The way dogs cool down is by panting.
“But, on this occasion, it was having difficulty doing that – and she died in hospital overnight.
“With some more hot days in the 40s next week, it’s a timely reminder for everyone to be careful.”
RSPCA NSW also urges pet owners to take extra precautions to help ensure animals have constant access to water and shade, as potentially lethal heat stress can develop extremely quickly in hot weather.
“Many people are not aware that if you leave your dog unattended in the car, even with windows down and in the shade, there’s still a high risk of heat stroke and potentially suffering a worse fate,” chief inspector David OShannessy said.
“It only takes six minutes for an animal to die from heat stroke.
“If animals need to be left in the backyard, they must also be able to access shelter and water.
“If a dog is tethered they can become tangled and be unable to reach their water or shelter.
“RSPCA NSW recommends that there are at least two-to-three containers of water in case one gets knocked over.
“A dog can survive for a few days without food but, in this weather, if it has no shade or water it will die.”