{"id":320463,"date":"2026-06-03T05:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T05:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/320463\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T05:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T05:44:09","slug":"vets-warn-of-rising-summer-risks-as-texas-leads-nation-in-pet-heat-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/320463\/","title":{"rendered":"Vets warn of rising summer risks as Texas leads nation in pet heat deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

TYLER, Texas (KETK<\/a>) \u2014 The Texas summer heat doesn\u2019t just take a toll on people; it can be dangerous and even deadly for pets. A 2024 report from the SPCA of Texas shows the state ranks number one in the nation for heat\u2011related pet deaths, a statistic that worries veterinarians across East Texas.<\/p>\n

Dr. Gary Spence of Spence & White Veterinary Hospital in Tyler says the extreme temperatures seen across the region each summer put all dogs at risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cHot weather, particularly in Texas, is a big challenge because we get such heat extremes,\u201d Spence said.<\/p>\n

Firefighters battle large fire at Frankston gas station <\/a><\/p>\n

While any dog can suffer from heat stroke, he says, overweight, elderly and long\u2011haired dogs are especially vulnerable. Warning signs can appear quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll see them staggering. They almost act like they have dementia,\u201d Spence explained. \u201cThey quit, they\u2019ll start salivating around the mouth \u2014 all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last summer alone, Dr. Spence treated twelve canine heat stroke cases. At Bossart Park in Tyler, pet owner Christian Bates says she\u2019s constantly aware of the dangers when taking her schnauzer, Shirley, outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir paws can get burned on the concrete and they can overheat,\u201d Bates said. \u201cShirley is really old. She gets hotter, faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Spence says that the concern is valid. Concrete and asphalt can reach scorching temperatures during the day, often hot enough to burn a dog\u2019s paw pads.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are burning their pads,\u201d he said. \u201cWe see dogs come in with burned pads from being force\u2011walked, and their owners think they\u2019re enjoying it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another major danger: leaving pets inside vehicles. Even with windows cracked, temperatures inside a car can climb to 120 degrees within minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lost two dogs last year from being in a car,\u201d Spence said. \u201cBy the time they got here, her body temperature was 110, and we lost her within 15 or 20 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

His message to pet owners is simple: if your dog can\u2019t go inside with you, leave them at home.<\/p>\n

As temperatures continue to rise across East Texas, veterinarians urge pet owners to stay alert, limit outdoor activity, and prioritize shade, water, and safety to prevent another year of tragic losses.<\/p>\n

You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24\/7 on your smart TV\u00a0with\u00a0KETK+<\/a>,\u00a0our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite needed\u2014watch for free, anytime.\u00a0Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TYLER, Texas (KETK) \u2014 The Texas summer heat doesn\u2019t just take a toll on people; it can be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[114855,2604,114856,114854,6137,79355,88397,27,29,28,9011],"class_list":["post-320463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-christian-bates","tag-east-texas","tag-extreme-temperatures","tag-gary-spence","tag-heat-stroke","tag-pet-owners","tag-summer-heat","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-tyler"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}