How to avoid common pet injuries during the dog days of summer

The heat was pounding the roads and sidewalks in the Triangle on Friday.

A thermometer showed the temperature of one downtown Raleigh street was over 140 at one point!

That’s hot enough to cause burns for humans and pets.

Pet owner Beth Svensgaard and her dog Milo are regulars at the Oakwood Dog Park. With Friday’s temps climbing over 100 degrees, she said it’s a challenge to be outside.

“I give him at least 20 minutes and I go hang out by the water dish so he’ll take a break and go over there and drink some water,” Svensgaard said.

“You have to be very careful with the heat,” she said. “I have another dog that doesn’t want to be out in this at all.”

Jennifer Sawyer is a veterinarian at Petfolk in North Hills and said she’s seeing an uptick in heat-related visits.

“We have had more actually of the getting overheated and more heat stroke type symptoms,” Sawyer said.

Burnt paws are another common injury.

The pavement can get 40-to-60 degrees hotter than the temperature outside and blacktop is especially dangerous.

“They might start limping holding up a leg,” Sawyer said. “Those paw pads tend to start to peel a little bit when they’re getting burned.”

Pet booties can help avoid burns with more hot summer days on the horizon.

The vet also advises taking walks on grassy areas and shaded sidewalks during the cooler parts of the day – in the morning and evening.