Brian Arneson is a veterinarian at Heartland Animal Clinic and he warned Valley pet owners to take extra care of their pets during hot summer days.
He said keep your pets in the shade if they have to go outside, but it is best to keep pets inside and close to plenty of water. If you have a dog with a small nose, like a bulldog or a Boston Terrier, you should take extra precaution with keeping them cool.
"They really have a tough time dissipating heat because of their inability to breathe effectively,” said Arneson. “So we see a lot of those guys and already had one of our patients this year that's not with us anymore."
Arneson said he has seen a pet with heat exhaustion at least once a day at his office in Harrisonburg.
Arneson said your pets can get to a high body temperature very quickly and it does not even have to be 90 degrees outside. He said this heat is extremely dangerous for your pets because it can kill them if you are not careful.
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