As temperatures soar, pets can experience heat stroke too. Here’s what you should know.

As heat advisories plague Boston, veterinarians are urging pet owners to prevent heat stroke by checking in on their furry friends.

So far this year, three of the 80 dogs and other companion animals that have reportedly died from heat-related causes were in Boston, according to PETA. The dogs were found dead inside an abandoned U-Haul van in Mattapan earlier this month.

When a dog’s internal temperature exceeds 105 degrees, they may be suffering from heat stroke, according to the American Kennel Club.

David Carabetta, one of the staff criticalists at the MSPCA, said he saw about five cases of pets with heat stroke in June this year.

What should pet owners be looking out for?

Carabetta said overheated pets start by being restless.

“They’re panting more, they’re having a hard time settling down, particularly when they’re outdoors,” he told Boston.com.

The first emergent signs, he said, are vomiting and diarrhea. Shortly after, the animal might get lethargic and collapse.

How can heat stroke be prevented?

Two factors, environment and activity, contribute most to a pet’s risk of heat stroke, Carabetta said.

“If they’re being overly active in a hotter situation, that can really precipitate a crisis,” he said. 

Carabetta said pet owners should be cautious about the amount of activity their pets are doing and try to keep their dogs in air conditioning and keep them inside during the hotter parts of the day. 

He recommends taking dogs on runs in the early morning or late at night to beat the heat. 

Carabetta said pet owners should also be aware that dogs can burn their paw pads from walking on hot surfaces like black asphalt.

How can heat stroke be treated?

If your pet is showing signs of heat stroke, Carabetta says the first thing you should do is move them to a cooler environment and give them access to cold water. 

If they struggle to settle down, putting water on their paws and limbs can cool them down, he said.

If the pet is still unsettled, Carabetta says they should be taken to see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

What breeds are most susceptible?

Carabetta said Bulldogs and Frenchies are more at risk of contracting heat stroke.

Animals shed heat by panting, and the breeds that have “squished” faces have a “harder time shedding that heat,” he said.

“We want to be especially careful with limiting their activity,” Carabetta said.

Going Forward

Carabetta said that public outreach is extremely important to prevent heat stroke cases in the future.

The “best strategy for summer,” he says, is to limit dogs’ stress and activity, and make sure they have access to cooler spaces.

“We all know August is going to be bad, but this year again, even in June, we were having  much hotter days,” he said. “The biggest thing for owners is just being aware of hotter situations and dogs’ limited ability to compensate for that.”