Dogs, cats, hamsters and guinea pigs: no one is safe from the effects of the current climate crisis, which (also) threatens the small animals that keep us company at home
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himVeterinarians are increasingly finding themselves rescuing cats, bunnies and guinea pigs who are victims of heat stroke as a result of rising temperatures due to global warming: in fact, dogs are not the only pets that are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and climatic changes. A new study conducted in the UK has shown that all the animals that keep us company at home suffer the effects of climate change and pay the consequences.
The researchers analyzed the data relating to pets visited by some British veterinarians in the period between 2013 and 2018, combining them with information relating to the average temperatures of the period. The animals most victims of heatstroke were dogs with 146 cases, of which 75% caused by the physical effort to which the animals were subjected and 7% by the fact that the dogs were left for many hours locked in the car. under the sun; bulldogs are among the dogs most at risk from the heat (20% of victims).
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But not only dogs suffer the negative effects of heat: in the period analyzed, 16 cats were brought to the vet due to heat exhaustion (most of the cases were represented by elderly cats), but also 8 guinea pigs, 3 rabbits and a ferret. Most of the admissions to the veterinary office for heatstroke occurred in the summer months (between April and October).
The study did not take into account all the veterinary studies present on the national territory, but only a number - therefore, it is very likely that the estimates of pets that have felt ill due to the heat are much more than the numbers reported. This should encourage owners to have special care and attention towards their furry friends, and protect them from the negative effects of climate change - which will intensify in the coming years.
The most common symptoms of heatstroke in pets are difficulty breathing, drowsiness and lethargy, collapse, but also intestinal problems such as diarrhea.. Cats, used to looking for a warmer place to curl up and sleep, can become victims of too much heat, while animals living in cages (such as rabbits and guinea pigs) risk heatstroke if the cage in which they are forced to living does not offer them a shaded area - that is why it is so important to remodel the spaces of the apartment to provide animals with better conditions for their well-being.
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Fonte: Nottingham Trent University / Open Veterinary Journal
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