“I see many several heat related injuries at the veterinarian hospital. While we may see burnt pads from the hot asphalt, the most common illness from the heat is exhaustion and stroke. These conditions are 100 percent preventable but will cause death if not treated in time,” she said.

Signs of heat exhaustion and stroke include heavy panting, profuse salivation, rapid pulse, red gums and tongue, lethargy, lack of coordination, vomiting, diarrhea, and temperature exceeding 104.

Scary stuff, but here’s what you can do to prevent this from happening to your lifetime friend:

1) Never leave pets in a car even with the windows down. A 70 degree day can make the internal temperature of a vehicle climb to 120 degrees in 30 minutes.

2) Animals dehydrate quickly. If you’re outdoors with your pet make sure you pack plenty of fresh or bottled water. Stay away from excessive drinking from lakes, rivers, ponds, and the ocean.

3) Bring pets indoors during summer months. If a pet has to be outside, make sure they have a shaded area to lie down, are not tethered in the sun and have access to plenty of water. Consider filling up a small pool with water so they can lie inside, and look for automatic pet watering systems which you can add to a hose.

4) Don’t exercise pets during peak heat hours, which are 10am-4pm. Pets covered in fur get hot faster than humans. They lack the ability to sweat except for a very small amount through their paws. It’s a good idea to give full coated breeds like huskies and retrievers a summer cut to help keep them cool.

5) Don’t allow pets to be on asphalt. If the ground is hot to the touch it may burn your pet’s paws. The air temperature of 77 degrees yields asphalt temperatures of up to 125 degrees. A good test is to press your hand to the asphalt for seven seconds. If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s uncomfortable for your pet too.

6) Know your breed. Brachycephalics breeds such as Pugs, Boston terriers, English bulldogs, and Boxers are predisposed to breathing problems. The heat affects them quicker.

7) Elderly pets that can’t move well may have heart or lung diseases and are also at increased risk for heat illnesses. Don’t leave them outside in the heat for prolonged periods.

If you notice signs of heat exhaustion, phone your local emergency veterinarian to prepare them of your arrival and move the pet to an air conditioned area. Take a rectal temperature and if the reading exceeds 104 degrees, begin to cool by spraying with hose or place in tub of cool water.

Never leave the pet unattended in the tub. Do not cool them past 103 degrees and then head to the veterinarian office. They will likely need to run blood work and start IV fluids to stabilize your pet. Hyperthermia can cause kidney, liver, and all system failure, irregular heart rhythm, seizures and death if left untreated.

A temperature-controlled indoor setting is the safest place for the pet during summer’s hottest days. If you don’t have a room with air conditioning, set up plenty of fans and put one up that clips to the side of a pet kennel.

Pets are vulnerable to heat-related injuries as the temperatures rise, but a responsible pet owner takes precautions to ensure their pet is healthy and happy. Prevention, understanding the signs of heat injuries and what to do should you encounter an emergency will go a long way in protecting your four-legged family members.

Theresa Donnelly is an active-duty Navy Lieutenant with 16 years of military service, having done 10 years enlisted with multiple overseas deployments. She is the owner of Hawaii Military Pets, an online pet resource for military families living in Hawaii. The blog and Facebook page provide information on moving with pets in the military, boarding information, and pet policies in city, state and federal governments. She partners with local and national animal nonprofits that place special emphasis on military and their companion animals, such as Dogs on Deployment and Pets for Patriots. Follow her on Twitter @tdonnelly76

The Engineer Canine Company, 5th Engineer Battalion is comprised of the 49th, 67th, and 94th Engineer Detachments (Canine). The Engineer Canine program was established in October 2004 as the 67th EN Detachment (Canine). Originally, the detachment was solely comprised of Mine Detection Dogs (MDD), a tool to reduce the risk of landmines, UXO, and other casualty-producing devices on the battlefield. The Mine Detection Dog concept was modeled after a similar program used by the British Armed Forces. After the proven success of U.S. Mine Detection Dogs in Afghanistan, and as new threats emerged , the program adopted another type of detection dog from the British Military, the Specialized Search Dog (SSD). The Specialized Search Dog demonstrated its capability in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In light of the growing need of both Mine Detection Dogs and Specialized Search Dogs in support of the Global War on Terrorism, two more detachments were activated in October 2005, the 49th and the 94th Engineer Detachments. Currently the 49th Engineer Detachment supports all Mine Detection Dog Operations while the 67th and the 94th Detachments support all Engineer Specialized Search Dog Operations for the United States Army. From the inception of the pilot program in 2003 until present, Engineer Canine Soldiers have been constantly deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan to support area clearance, route clearance, and casualty extraction missions for Engineers, Infantry, Field Artillery, Special Forces, and Marines alike.

Perhaps the best way to compare the two types of dogs Engineers use would be the old nursery rhyme “The Tortoise and the Hare.” In the case of Military Working Dogs, the Mine Detection Dog is the tortoise, they are slow and steady, but with that they are very thorough as is necessary when you are trying to reduce the type of casualty producing devices they are trained for. That would then leave the Specialized Search Dog as the hare of the two. He is the fast dog, but unlike in the story, he is certainly not lazy. For his particular job, he needs to be speedy and hard working as he searches large areas for devices often over a period of hours or even days. Another significant difference in the two is that the MDD works on a leash. It is necessary for the handler to be able to control the dog to work in the patterns necessary to clear an area of mines or other unexploded ordnance. SSDs work off leash as they are searching larger areas for almost anything with explosives residue in shorter amounts of time.

Some final words also need to be written about exactly what types of dogs these particular Military Working Dogs are. Unlike many other MWDs, the Engineer Canine is only sometimes a German Shepherd (the standard for other types of MWD), and they are never trained to bite or attack. This is not necessary for them to perform their duties, and this results in other types of dogs, such as the Labrador, oftentimes being better suited for this particular type of work. It is also results in gentle, loving dogs, who, though certainly not ever allowed to be pets while working, are well accepted by society. They are so well accepted that is rare for the older working dogs to not be adopted by their handler once the dog retires. And during their hard earned retirement, they get to do the same thing we do in retirement. That being whatever they want. And most times all they want is to be the pet they never were able to be and to finally be, instead of simply their handler’s partner and protector, Man’s Best Friend.