Any time you're dealing with heat advisories you need to fully understand the gravity of the situation. It means dangerously hot conditions are imminent. You should always be mindful of staying hydrated and cool, and check out your family, friends, and neighbors too.

If you're a parent ALWAYS double-check to make sure you're not leaving your kids in the car. (You would not believe how many children have died from vehicular heatstroke.) Same for pets, by the way, but there are a few additional safety tips that need to be known.

Senior woman and dog in car
Big Cheese Photo
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That may be an amusing photo but the safety of your pet is no joke. If it is too hot for you it is too hot for your dog; it's a no-brainer. Still, some pet owners still neglect to understand be it unintentional or not.

What are the most important safety tips all pet owners should know?

Most of these are common sense but should still be noted:

If they don't need to go outside don't make them, especially if it's stupid hot.

Also, ask yourself if it's too humid for your pet? There's a really simple formula for knowing if it is scientifically too hot for your pet, according to PAW CBD.

One rule to keep in mind is that if the numbers of heat and humidity exceed 150 when added together, it’s not safe for your pet to be outside.

Dog traveling in a car
humonia
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Keep your pet hydrated. Make sure they have more than enough water, even if they're going to drink it so fast it'll make them vomit, keep them hydrated.

If your pet is outdoors give them plenty of shade, they need it too.

Never, ever, ever, ever, for any circumstance, leave your cat or dog (or whatever) in your vehicle even if the windows are down or the air conditioning is running. And, remember, if you break into a car with a pet inside you're still breaking the law. You can read more about that here.

Dog waiting for his owner
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Know that the hottest part of the day is typically between 3 and 5 pm, don't force your pet outdoors during that time period if not necessary.

Like us, pets can experience heat stroke and there are a lot of signs to watch for.

  • increased heart rate, dizziness, lethargy
  • heavy panting, drooling, difficulty breathing
  • muscle tremors, seizures, collapsing
  • vomiting, and diarrhea

Pet experts advise being ready to respond with more tips which you can find here.

[h/t PAW CBD]

KEEP READING: Here are 6 foods from your cookout that could harm your dog

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

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