The forecast from the Met Office for this week is for high temperatures and UV levels, we would therefore like to please remind everyone that it’s not just humans that suffer in this hot weather, water and shade are essential for your pets and other animals and birds, both wild and domestic.

Also, very importantly, let’s not forget the stray animals on the streets that will be desperate to find a drink, small water pots placed wherever possible outside your home are a great idea.

Another case where heat stroke is a possibility is with dogs and other animals waiting in hot cars for the ferry, both in Malta and Gozo.

With the weekend coming up, anybody who is travelling with animals between the islands during hot weather should take the following precautions as advised by animal organisations:

Try to make the ferry journey in the cool of the early morning or late evening, but definitely avoid the hottest hours in the middle of the day.

Provide companion animals with fresh cool water to drink; it is important it is neither chilled, nor hot from the sun. Whilst waiting, keep side windows open and use screens on the front and rear windows.

Owners should not walk their dogs on tarmac in the heat of the day – if they try walking on it with bare feet themselves they will understand how hot tarmac burns a dog’s paws, even after only a few seconds.

Owners should carry a wet towel in a cool bag to wrap around their pet if it becomes distressed and starts panting.

Heatstroke can be a life-threatening condition and should be treated seriously.

If a dog or cat shows signs of heat stroke (excessive panting or breathing difficulties) the owner should seek veterinary advice at once; immediate action may save the pet’s life.

Dogs should not be left in the ferry vehicle parking areas during the crossing and should never be left unattended in a car at any time, but especially during summer.

High summer temperatures continue to rise at a fast rate in a closed car. However, did you know that left in a closed car a dog is affected by the rise in temperature much more than humans, and in less than 15 minutes a dog can suffer heatstroke which can be fatal.

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