Dogs

Never leave your dog in your parked car–not even for a minute. Temperatures in the sun escalate quickly, and your dog could soon suffer organ damage or die. If you see an animal left in a parked car, you should contact the police or the humane society immediately. If you see an animal left in the car on campus, you can contact Campus Public Safety at 541-383-7272.

Provide plenty of water and shade.  Just like people, dogs need to stay hydrated when it’s hot outside. They also need a place to lay down and stay cool.Limit exercise. During the summer, walk your dogs in the morning or the evening when it’s cooler. They should not be exercising too much during the warmer hours because they will have difficulty cooling down.

Don’t count on a fan to keep your dog cool. Unlike humans, dogs cannot easily be cooled off by a fan. A fan alone is not a reliable way to keep your dog safe.

Outside cats and other animals

• If you cannot bring your outside pets inside, follow these tips to make sure they are safe in summer weather.
• Leave fresh water in several locations for your pet.
• Have your pets shaved and groomed so they are not being overheated by winter fur.
• Make sure your pets have a cool, shady shelter to retreat to when the weather gets too warm.

Small animals

Small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs do not have a strong heat tolerance. Here are some tips for keeping your small animals healthy and happy when temperatures start to climb.

• Keep animal cages away from windows, where their area will get too warm.
• Freeze plastic bottles of water overnight and put one in the cage with your pet. The animal can lay against the bottle to stay cool; once one bottle defrosts, switch it out with a new one and refreeze it.
• Make sure your pets have plenty of water to drink. If your pet drinks out of a water bottle, make sure it’s filled with fresh water at all times and regularly check the spout to ensure water it is operating correctly.

(information contributed by the Humane Society of the United States)

–Cedar Goslin

The Broadside

(contact:[email protected])