Just as you should protect yourself from the heat, your pet needs to stay cool too, especially with brutal temps on the horizon.

(WAND) - Just as you should protect yourself from the heat, your pet needs to stay cool too, especially with brutal temps on the horizon.

Dogs should be outside as little as possible when the temperatures get so high. 

Dr. Travis Mansur, managing doctor at the Fairview Hospital for Animals, said heat stroke in dogs is incredibly serious, but there are precautions to keep them safe. 

"If you can't hold your own hand on the pavement for three minutes, it's too hot. Your dog doesn't have the ability to be like, 'Oh, I'm going to walk on this foot instead of this one.' You can get brain damage really quickly, because heat stroke is [where] your body, your body's core temperature, has gotten too high for you to actually regulate," Mansur said.  

The best way to cool them down is by giving them lukewarm water and wetting their paws and head. 

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