Heatwave: protecting your pet from the heat

Walks, water, shade, hot pavement and the car: the rules for days of extreme heat.

What to do, step by step

1. 1Walks only early in the morning and late in the day; test the tarmac with your hand for five seconds — if it burns you, it burns the paw pads.
2. 2Fresh water always available, in several spots of the house and garden; add ice cubes or a fountain for cats that drink little.
3. 3Shade and ventilation: never leave animals on balconies, sun rooms or kennels in the sun; damp towels and cooling mats help.
4. 4Never leave the animal in the car, not for minutes nor with the window open: in twenty minutes the inside exceeds 50 °C.
5. 5Birds, rabbits and rodents suffer badly from heat: cages out of the sun, frozen water bottles wrapped in a towel, fresh greens.
6. 6Warning signs (heavy panting, thick drool, staggering): see the Heatstroke guide and go to the vet.

Useful contacts

• IPMA — Avisos meteorológicos

  Extreme heat, thunderstorm and storm warnings.
  Open
• Veterinário de urgência da sua zona

  Call before leaving home so the clinic can get ready. On patuco: Emergency › 24h veterinarian.

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General information, with no legal or veterinary value. In an emergency call 112 or a vet right away; always confirm procedures with the official bodies.