Like humans, pets love to lay out in the sun. While they don’t get sunburned, they can suffer from heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a condition caused by the body’s inability to regulate its temperature properly when exposed to high temperatures.

Symptoms in pets include excessive panting and difficulty breathing. Saliva becomes thick and sticky. Dogs and cats may vomit, pass out and even die.

There are simple steps you can take to keep your pet from suffering from heat stroke. Here are some of them and if you have more suggestions, please share them.

Keep Water Bowls Handy

Provide multiple water bowls throughout the house and outdoors where your pet suns itself. The Ackerman Security blog suggests putting ice cubes in the bowls to keep the water cold.

Time How Long Your Pet Stays Outside

Determine when your pet should go outside and for how long. Remember that the air is hottest from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Try to avoid those hours. If you are taking walks, make sure you steer your pets into the shade.

Never Leave Your Pet In The Car

This is a no brainer but can’t be overstated. Even if you crack a window, your pet can get overheated rather quickly in a car. It’s as though you have put them in a sauna. It’s better to leave them at home if you can’t take them into an air conditioned building with you when you are running errands.

Crank Up The Air Conditioner

Speaking of air conditioning, kick it up a notch. You may be comfortable with the temperature in your home, but your dog or cat more than likely isn’t because they have fur. So it is better to be safe than sorry by making your house cooler than usual to ensure that your pet’s body temperature does not overheat.

Get some more tips at the Ackerman security blog and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.

Also since it's pollen season, check out this post on how to help your pet cope with pollen allergies.