LOS ANGELES -- During the summer months when temperatures are hotter than normal, it's important to take extra precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones cool — this includes your furry friends.
"One thing that I always like to talk to my pet parents about is, 'If it's too hot for us, then it's definitely too hot for them,'" says Dr. Phillip An, small animal general practitioner and owner of Sunset Veterinary Center, which is slated to open in September in Diamond Bar, California. He notes that pets — particularly cats and dogs — don't have as many sweat glands as humans. Instead, they primarily regulate their temperature through panting.
But placing your pet in hot conditions, such as by taking them along on a lengthy hike on a warm, sunny day, can lead to life-threatening and sometimes fatal consequences given that heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke in just a matter of moments.
