As an intense late-summer heat wave descends on inland San Diego County Tuesday, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) reminded county residents to take precautions with their animals.
SDHS said simple steps can go a long way to keep pets and animals safe from the heat, such as providing cool, clean water, using fans or air conditioning to keep them cool in indoor spaces and never leaving a pet in a parked vehicle.
Additionally, when walking your dog, be mindful of how hot the pavement or asphalt is.
"If you can't hold your hand on it for seven seconds, it's too hot for paws," a humane society statement read. Avoid walks during the heat of the day, instead walking or running with your pup in the morning or evening.
SDHS said providing shade to all pets outside and sunscreen to hairless and light-coated dogs can avoid sunburns. Also, it is never advised to leave pets unsupervised around a pool.
Finally, the organization encourages all pet owners to be aware of signs of heat stress: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red tongue.
"If you believe your pet is suffering from heat exhaustion, contact your veterinarian right away — it could save your pet's life," the SDHS statement reads.
If you see an animal trapped in a hot car, call San Diego Humane Society at 619-299-7012 (press 1 for Dispatch) or your local law enforcement agency for assistance.
The expected onset of scorching conditions prompted the National Weather Service to issue an extreme-heat warning for local desert communities, effective from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Saturday. Over the period, daily highs in those areas could reach 110 to 116 degrees.
Across the inland valleys and in the mountains, meanwhile, the mercury is likely to climb into the mid-90s to around 100 degrees or a little higher, according to meteorologists. For those locales, the weather service issued a less-urgent heat advisory, slated to run from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Friday.
Authorities advise people to prevent potential heat-related ill health effects during such acute hot spells by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, staying out of the sun during the warmest times of the day, taking shelter in air-conditioned spaces if possible and checking up on at-risk friends, relatives and neighbors.
Downtown San Diego can expect patchy fog before 11 a.m. Wednesday, with partly sunny conditions and a high near 79.
Weather officials said that this heat wave "will be followed by a gradual cooling trend with temperatures returning to around average on next Tuesday."
