Surviving the Dog Days of Summer

In the South, we’re used to sweltering temperatures and stifling humidity and plan our days accordingly. There are plenty of hours in the day to accomplish our daily outdoor goals, so we create time during the peak of the day to relax, hydrate, enjoy a snowball from Hansen’s Sno-Bliz or to take a dip in a pool. Our pets, who are always eager to please us by running and playing endlessly, will need our guidance to avoid suffering heat-related difficulties.

Genevieve Wisdom, DVM, is no stranger to hot climates. She grew up in steamy Pensacola, Florida with her five siblings. She feels blessed to have discovered her passion in the third grade when she witnessed a veterinarian help a horse she loved. She received her B.S. in Animal Sciences and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida. After graduation, Dr. Wisdom started her career in Georgia at Cornelia Veterinary Hospital, a mixed animal 24-hour emergency facility. In 2012, she moved to New Orleans as an Emergency Veterinarian at Southeast Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She became the East Bank Veterinarian for Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter in 2015. In 2021, she returned to private practice and recently opened Wisdom Animal Hospital next door to Jefferson Feed Pet and Garden Center at 4421 Jefferson Hwy. This location is a perfect fit as she works closely with many rescues in town including Jefferson SPCA, also located at Jefferson Feed. In her free time, Dr. Wisdom enjoys scuba diving, live music, great food and all the unique experiences New Orleans has to offer.

Although we all love spending the long, sunny dog days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, Dr. Wisdom cautions us that they can’t regulate their temperature like we do and coincidentally are susceptible to heat exhaustion or heatstroke that can be fatal. Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so plenty of fresh, clean water should always be available. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.

Pet owners should be aware of the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor, or even collapse. Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible. Never leave your pets alone in a parked vehicle or unsupervised around a pool … not all are good swimmers!

Wisdom Animal Hospital offers a full array of services including wellness checkups, internal and preventative medicine, surgery (including JSPCA Voucher Program for affordable spay/neuter surgery for Jefferson Parish residents), dermatology, ophthalmology, dental cleaning, laboratory screening, digital X-rays and ultrasound, a pharmacy, domestic and international health certificates, microchip placement, behavioral and nutritional counseling, specialty and emergency referrals, and end of life and hospice care for your beloved pet. Feel free to schedule an appointment with Dr. Wisdom for your favorite companion at (504) 571-5128.