Saskatoon dogs staying active while keeping cool

Despite the heat, many dog owners are making sure their furry friends still get their exercise.

At the Saskatoon SPCA, staff and volunteers are taking dogs for walks earlier in the morning in order to keep them cool.

SPCA animal care and community engagement manager Jemma Omidian said small breeds, puppies, old dogs and dogs with health conditions are most susceptible to heat stroke.

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“Regardless of what kind of a dog you have, when it’s this hot out you want to make sure that you are looking out for the signs of heat stroke, you’re making sure that they’re comfortable,” she said Wednesday. “If you notice that they’re panting a lot, they’re salivating a lot, they’re starting to act a little bit lethargic, get them inside, cool them off. If they don’t recover call your vet right away – that could save your dog’s life.”

Omidian reminds owners to never leave their dogs in the car on a hot day, even if they roll down the windows and don’t plan on leaving for long.

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“That can cause some really major damage to your dog,” she said. “Heat stroke is no joke. It can happen super quickly. It can come out of nowhere and cause irreversible damage or even death.”

She also wants people to remember that their dogs don’t have shoes to protect them, and the hot pavement could easily burn their paws.