SPOKANE, Wash. — The Inland Northwest will see oppressive heat for most of the upcoming week. With this heat there are a few things you can do keep you and your pets safe.
The CDC says for every hour you are outside in heat like this, you should drink one to two bottles of water. If you work outside or you are planning on staying cool with a day on the lake, you should drink at least eight bottles of water for an eight-hour day.
However, even while drinking water you should pay attention for signs of heat illness and heat stroke. If you start feeling heat cramps, you start sweating a lot, or you begin to get a headache you should find a place to cool down and rest.
If you stop sweating, get dizzy or lose consciousness, that means you have heat stroke and should call 9-1-1 immediately.
The heat doesn’t only impact you; your pets will also feel the impact. It is important to make sure to pay attention for signs of them being uncomfortable in the heat. Some things to remember:
- Never leave them in your car
- If they need to get out to run off some energy, try to get out as early as possible before it heats up
- Don’t let your pups walk on the hot asphalt because it can burn their paws
The heat will be around for the next few days so if you can, check on your neighbors, friends and family who don’t have air conditioning to make sure they are ok.
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