Pets Are Family Too

It has been a couple of weeks since the expansive California Wildfires have been completely extinguished. Many people fled from their homes voluntarily or either under an evacuation order for their safety and to allow firefighters to safely protect property. Even though the smoke has cleared from the fires, smoke filled the Southern California skies beyond the areas that were burning.

The smoke filled skies caused air quality warnings and alerts throughout. People were asked to stay indoors, and keep their pets inside if possible and restrict strenuous exercise. Yet, there were still pets in Southern California who did not go inside and they should be checked to see if they suffered any smoke related illnesses. Pets that lived in the burn areas should also be checked for any signs of smoke and fire hazards.

Just as a caution, if your dog was in the fire areas or in the vicinity of the smoke, which was a large area, look for these symptoms that may indicate a smoke related effect.

• Increased breathing rate and effort, coughing or gagging, lethargy, and weakness could be caused by smoke irritants as well as carbon monoxide poisoning, which can prevent oxygen from being delivered to a pet’s body.

• Stumbling, wobbly walking, collapsing, and decreased consciousness are typically signs related to lack of oxygen delivery to a pet’s brain. Brain damage from lack of oxygen can be temporary or permanent, depending on the deprivation period.

• Red or cloudy eyes, rubbing at the eyes, and squinting are common results of eye sensitivity to the effect of heat and irritants. A pet’s cornea is especially sensitive to smoke and fire.

• Singed hair can be a sign of a burn injury to the skin, even if it does not look serious. Burn injuries can vary in depth and severity, and have the potential to affect other body systems.

According to VPI Pet Insurance, these symptoms may not occur immediately, so just as a precaution, take note if your pet was in Southern California. If you feel that your pet was exposed directly to the smoke or heat or had prolonged exposure to the smoke filled areas and some of these listed symptoms above arose, the pet should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

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