+
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014
PAGE 9A
+
Rising temperatures require precautions for pets
LIZ KUHLMANN
@LizKuhlmannUDK
With the thermostat in Lawrence lately reading over 100 degrees, humans aren't the only ones who'll be sweating it. Jennifer Stone, a medical director and staff veterinarian at the Lawrence Humane Society, urges students to not only look after themselves in the heat, but also to consider their animals. While Stone has not seen many "true cruelty" cases of animal neglect in extreme heat or cold, she said she has seen many cases of ignorance.
Edited by Jordan Fox
"If it's 100 degrees outside, it can be well over 100 degrees inside the car," Stone said. "You should never leave your animal in the car. It's not safe to leave them in there."
THE SYMPTOMS:
Look out for:
- Extreme panting that doesn't appear to cool the animals
- Animal is hot to the touch
- Animal has bright red mucous membranes (skin cells on the gum and muzzle area)
- Weakness
- Sudden collapse
"Animals can show signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion mere minutes after being abandoned in a parked vehicle," Stone said.
HEATSTROKE IS A PROBLEM
- If it is extremely warm outside keep animals in an air conditioned place — not outside in a cage or in a car.
"One of my friends actually had a dog, and she was jogging with him and he just fell over, dead," Stone said. "It was too hot. They won't necessarily show signs before it happens sometimes, they just become very sick very suddenly."
WHAT TO DO
If a student is forced to leave their animal out in the heat:
• Make sure there is always a shady spot no matter the time
- Leave plenty of water for the animal to drink
- If an animal is discovered left in the car:
- Get the pet out of the car and into air conditioning
- Seek the pet with water
- Soak the pet with water
- If your pet has experienced heat stroke, always take the pet to the hospital to be checked out
"If you see an animal that's not yours in a locked vehicle, call the police or animal control," Stone said. "I know in some places they will actually break into cars to get them out ... Most of the time it's neglect and ignorance, and that's what makes me sad. People just don't take time to think things through before they do it."
Mon
$2.00
Wells
$2.00
Wells
$2.00
Calls
$2.00
Bottles
Tues
$2.00
Wells
$2.00
Calls
$?????
Bottles
feautring
Rumpleminze
Wed
$1.00
Wells
$2.00
Domestic
Bottles & Calls
featuring
Southern
Comfort
$3.00
Micro/Import
Bottles +
FREE cover
with your ku id
Thur
$1.50
Wells
$3.00
Bacardi Mixers
$5.00
Pilsner Pitchers
Fri
$2.50
Domestic
Bottles
$3.00
Long Islands
$3.50
Smirnoff
Mixers
Sat
$3.00
Long Islands
$3.00
Draft Pints
featuring
FS Copperhead
& Guinness