Beat the Heat

With record high temps expected for the Summer here are a few tips for helping your animals avoid heat stress...

• Remember that the animal's core body temp stays

elevated until very late at night...if you need to handle an animal or treat a sick animal, do it at day break!

• Adequate drinking water is a MUST! You may need to add cool water several times a day. Heat can increase a single cow's daily water requirement by 15-30 gallons of water!

• The water tank supply should supply adequate water for 2-3 days using an electric pump or 3-7 days using a solar pump. If animal's run out of water for an extended period of time CALL YOUR VET for info on rehydrating the animals to avoid a lethal condition called salt toxicity.

• Ponds used for drinking water may become toxic because salts and sulfates become more concentrated as water evaporates. Currently parts of Lake Anna are banned for swimming because of overgrowths of bacteria and algae.

Please feel free to call or e-mail us here at Louisa Vet if you have any questions or concerns about your animal's health in this oppressive heat. And please remember to be careful out there yourselves while tending to these animals.