Seasonal
Heatstroke, Hot Cars and Hot Pavement: Summer Safety for Pets
Cars: the non-negotiable
On a 70°F day a parked car can pass 100°F inside in 20 minutes; cracked windows barely help. Never leave a pet in a parked car, period. Many states now have laws around pets in hot cars — but the point is your pet's life, not the statute.
Walks and pavement
Walk at dawn and dusk in heat waves. Try the 7-second rule: if the back of your hand can't rest on the asphalt for 7 seconds, it will burn paw pads. Flat-faced breeds (bulldogs, pugs, Persians) overheat fastest and deserve extra caution.
Heatstroke signs
Frantic panting, thick drool, bright red gums, wobbliness, vomiting or collapse. Move to shade or AC, pour cool (not ice-cold) water over the body, offer small drinks, and get to a vet even if they seem to recover — internal damage can lag.
Set them up for the season
Shade and fresh water always, cooling mats, frozen Kongs, and swimming where safe. Summer with a dog is wonderful — it just runs on an earlier clock.
If the day is coming
Ease The Paw coordinates in-home pet euthanasia across South Africa — we find and book the vet, arrange the cremation and handle the keepsakes, so you can simply be present. A flat R950 covers the coordination and your keepsake memorial; the vet and cremation are billed separately at their own rates.
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