Quite naturally, cats and dogs “will decrease their activity”. There is also a panting, in dogs in particular, to evacuate steam and heat. To refresh your pet, it is possible to wet it, the idea being to “create an evaporation process”. However, “you risk breaking your teeth with cats, who generally won’t let it go…” cats who “don’t do much with their days anyway”notes the veterinary doctor, “they will therefore tend to sit in a corner and wait”. Hyperventilation, with the tongue sticking out, being much rarer in felines than in canines, it is a signal of vigilance to be monitored.
Finally, note that not all breeds are equal in the face of high temperatures. “In the South, it is common to clip dogs that have very thick hair”points out Jasmine Chevallier, and it is appropriate “not to forget that animals can also get sunburn!” Attention is in order, especially when they are white. “One thing to consider is the length of the muzzle. The shorter it is, the more the dog’s ability to ventilate decreases.” Be careful if your doggie has a flat face (a characteristic of so-called brachycephalic breeds). The last advice from the specialist? “Beware of pathologies that cause vomiting in your animals: in these periods of heat, they become all the more sensitive to dehydration.”
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