As the City of Detroit continues to be under an extreme heat warning, Detroit Animal Care and Control highlight the importance of keeping pets safe and cool. If someone sees a pet in Detroit in the heat for extended periods of time, they’re encouraged to call Detroit Animal Care and Control’s (DACC) call center 313-922-DOGS (3647), open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dogs and cats, like humans, can experience heat-related medical emergencies like heatstroke and heat stress. Symptoms of heatstroke and heat stress that pet owners should look out for include bright red gums, vomiting, mobility weakness, heavy panting, diarrhea and drooling. If you recognize these symptoms in your pet, immediately contact your veterinarian, begin using cool room-temperature water, not ice-cold water, on places on their body that don’t have fur like their stomach, inside of their legs and tips of their ears, while transporting them to a veterinarian immediately.

Even if your pet seems to recover after being cooled, heatstroke can cause internal damage to the brain, kidneys, liver, heart, and clotting system that may not be immediately apparent. Early veterinary intervention provides the best chance for a full recovery.

When deciding whether it's safe for your dog to be outside, consider humidity and temperature. If the heat and humidity make you uncomfortable outdoors, your dog is likely to also be at risk. Dogs have very few sweat glands and cool themselves primarily by panting; high humidity makes panting much less effective because moisture can't evaporate efficiently. Even temperatures in the mid-70s to low 80s can become dangerous when humidity is high, especially for puppies, senior dogs, overweight dogs, and flat-faced breeds.

Below are additional tips to help pets, especially dogs beat the heat.

• Limit time outside
  Avoid walks during peak sun time and walk in the early morning or evening.
• Hot pavement = hot paws
  If the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’s also too hot for their paws.
• Hydration is key
  Provide access to fresh, cool water.
  Regularly refill their bowl and add ice cubes.
  Offer frozen pet-friendly treats like watermelon.
• Never leave pets in parked cars
  It only takes 15 minutes for a dog to die of heatstroke.
  A vehicle can reach 120 degrees in a matter of minutes—even with the windows partially open.
• Never shave your dog’s hair down to the skin
  Especially double-coated dogs like huskies, golden retriever and German Shepards because the fur protects them from the UV rays and the extreme direct heat.