STAY

Slow down. Strenous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.

Dress for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.

Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.

Drink plenty of water or other nonalcoholic fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, or (2) are on fluid restrictive diets, or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids.

Do not drink alcoholic beverages.

Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake.

Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduce danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air-conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.

Don't get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.

Do utilize evaporative cooling products. Products like MiraCool personal cooling products cool the blood at the body's pulse points thus cooling takes place from the inside out.

Since neither cats nor dogs perspire like humans do, they must loose body heat by panting. However, sometimes panting isn't enough to keep a pet cool.

Heat stress means that an animal is having trouble maintaining its normal body temperature due to its environment. It's caused by a combination of high temperature, humidity and poor ventilation, initial signs of heat stress include panting, red mucous membranes and an increased heart rate. The animal's legs, nose and ears will feel hot.

This condition can progress to heatstroke, where the animal's natural control mechanisms can no longer deal with the heat stress and the animal shows clinical signs of overheating.

Owners can help prevent heat stress problems by providing a proper environment. If your pet is kept outside on warm days, be sure to provide shade and free access to plenty of cool drinking water. Don't exercise your dog on a hot day and never leave a pet in a closed car or in an area where it cannot get out of the sun.