When temperatures are this high, surfaces can heat up quickly and that can lead to a burn risk when encountering everyday items.
A simple walk on the sidewalk, in hundred-degree weather, could do a lot of damage to dogs and other pets.
“It’s not uncommon for the paw pads to blister in response to the excessive heat,” said Dr. Josh Sosnow, the owner of North Scottsdale Animal Hospital.
Sosnow says, over the years, he has seen cases of dogs left in hot cars, drowning in pools or left outside with no water. Do not let these things happen.
Do you have a concern in your community or a news tip? We want to hear from you!
Connect with us: share@abc15.com
If you are going to take your dog for a walk, early mornings are best. To prevent paw pad burns, use booties.
“You need to make sure there is ample shade.. they get plenty of water to keep themselves cool because again, if they can’t transfer heat to say a cold tile floor, they’re going to have a hard time cooling their body down with panting alone,” said Sosnow.
For the other members in your family, including yourself, officials advice:
“You want to make sure that you have really sturdy footwear this time of year. Sometimes you put on those flimsy sandals, and on this hot asphalt, that’s just not going to cut it,” said Bretta Nelson, the Arizona Burn Foundation spokesperson.
The Arizona Burn Foundation says contact burns are very common, like touching a hot seatbelt or door handle.
“Last summer, we saw a 69% increase in contact burns related to sidewalk and gravel: people falling and getting burned and not being able to get back up,” said Nelson.
Luckily, contact burns are the most preventable: always be mindful and aware of your kids and seniors, wear proper footwear, bring water and use sunscreen.
Lastly, if you do not have to be outside, just stay inside.
