Outdoor temperatures will be extremely hot this week and there are some additional safety reminders for pet owners.

Dr. Christy Fields with Companion Veterinary Clinic of Greene County advises to watch out for symptoms of heat stroke in dogs, including excessive panting, vomiting, and collapsing. 

“Pets, just like humans, can die from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Once you get to the point of an animal collapsing, I mean that’s pretty severe and you need to probably contact a veterinarian.”

Dr. Fields says to also be watchful of how much exercise your pet gets when it’s very hot outside.

“Especially some of those dogs that really love to play, like labrador retrievers, they won’t stop because they’re hot. I’ve seen dogs with heat stroke because they’ve played fetch and wouldn’t stop. Owners sometimes are like, ‘Oh well, he’ll stop if he’s getting too hot.’ But they won’t.”

Dr. Fields recommends keeping pets in shady areas and having clean, fresh water, or leaving them inside a home where there is air conditioning.