The heat is on for pets, too

The summer sun was at a scorching high 94 degrees in Long Beach on June 20 — the official first day of summer — and in a sudden heat wave like this one, not only do we have to keep ourselves cool, but we cant forget about our four-legged friends as well.

As the 90-degree weather sets in for several days, local veterinarians and pet shops offered advice on how pet owners can keep their pets safe in this awfully hot weather.

Dr. Lewis Gelfand, a veterinarian at All Creatures Veterinary Services, said dogs should never be left inside cars or outside for an extended period of time.

“Never lock them inside a closed car with the windows shut,” Gelfand said. “Even if the car is running and on, if it is excessively hot they can overheat very quickly. People often don’t realize that they’re sitting in the driver’s seat, the dog is in the passenger’s seat and the sun may be coming in from that side and beating through the window and they’re getting hotter and hotter just on that side of the car.”

If a dog is taken out for a little exercise during the day, Gelfand suggested that they wear little booties or even little socks to protect their footpads because “they will burn, especially on black tar.”

“The best thing to do — just like it is for people — is early morning or dusk or later,” Gelfand said.

Johnny O, co-founder of Rescue Ink Inc., which runs the Long Beach Animal Shelter, said that the best thing to do is keep pets inside and give them lots of water.

“Don’t let them stay outside too long,” he said. “Always have shade or a dog house or a patio cover. A lot of people don’t realize with the humidity, [the pets] are out for a couple of hours, and it might be a couple of hours too long.”

Dogs — especially short-haired ones — can get sun burn, though Gelfand said to never use sun block on a pet.

“Like people, they should not be exposed to [direct sun] for prolonged periods of time,” he said. “It’s not a good idea to use block — and never sun tan oil.”

However, if you do take your pet out for a long afternoon walk or hike, Gelfand said to always carry water and look out for signs of heat stroke.