When the sky over LA turns orange, the calls start. Can I still walk my dog? Is the cough from the smoke? Should the cat be inside? The short answer is simpler than most people expect, and it’s the one we use in the clinic.

Above an air quality index (AQI) of 100, keep dogs and cats inside except for short bathroom breaks. That’s LA County Public Health’s guidance, and it’s the strictest of the official sources I know. If you can see haze or smell smoke, treat it the same way, whatever the number says.

You can check the air near you right now, and get a walk plan for your own pet, with our free Smoke Day Walk Check. It reads the official monitors through the EPA’s AirNow and updates every 30 minutes.

Why smoke is hard on pets.

Wildfire smoke is mostly fine particles (PM2.5), small enough to get deep into the lungs. Pets breathe faster than we do, they breathe hardest on walks and at play, and their noses spend a lot of time near the ground where ash settles. They also can’t tell you their chest feels tight. By the time a dog is coughing, the exposure has already happened.

Some pets need more caution than others:

Flat-faced breeds. Frenchies, pugs, bulldogs, Shih Tzus, and Persian and Himalayan cats already work harder to move air.
Seniors, puppies and kittens. Older lungs and hearts have less reserve. Young ones breathe fast and play hard.
Heart or lung disease. Heart disease, a collapsing trachea, chronic bronchitis and feline asthma can all get worse with smoke.
Birds. Pet birds are especially sensitive to anything in the air. Keep them inside, in your cleanest room.

For these pets, I keep walks short even on moderate days (AQI 51 to 100), and keep them inside entirely once the AQI goes over 100.

The walk plan.

AQI 0 to 50 (good): walk as usual.
AQI 51 to 100 (moderate): most pets can walk as usual. Higher-risk pets: short, easy walks.
AQI 101 to 200: inside, with bathroom breaks of about five minutes. Higher-risk pets: as quick as possible, close to the door.
AQI over 200: every pet stays in. Quick bathroom trips only. Pee pads help.

On ozone days (common in LA summers), the air is usually worst in the afternoon and early evening, so make any outing in the morning. Smoke is less predictable and can shift within the hour, so check again right before you head out.

Signs your pet is bothered by the smoke.

Coughing or gagging
Wheezing, or noisy or fast breathing
Red, watery or squinty eyes, and a runny nose
Tired, weak, or not interested in food

Mild signs often settle once your pet is inside and resting. If a cough or watery eyes hang on after a few hours indoors, or your pet has heart or lung disease, call us at (310) 776-5544. Our Should I bring my pet in? tool can also help you decide.

Call right away for labored breathing, blue or gray gums, collapse, or a cat breathing with its mouth open. If we’re closed, go to the nearest 24/7 emergency vet. The same goes for any pet that was close to the fire itself or trapped in a smoky building, even if they seem fine. Smoke inhalation at close range can look mild at first and get worse over the next day or two.

Smoke day at home.

Close up. Windows and doors shut, and the AC set to recirculate.
Clean the air. Run a HEPA air purifier in the room your pet uses most. Pick a CARB-certified one so it makes little or no ozone.
Don’t add smoke indoors. Skip candles, frying and the fireplace. Hold off on vacuuming unless it has a HEPA filter.
Wipe off ash. If ash has fallen, wipe paws and coat with a damp cloth after every trip outside, so they don’t lick it off.
Play inside. Food puzzles, snuffle mats, hide-and-seek and five-minute training games tire a dog out without the heavy breathing.
No masks. Please don’t put a human N95 on your pet. The straps can catch, and the mask can block breathing. Staying inside protects them better.

If you might have to leave.

Smoke days in LA can turn into evacuation days. Keep a carrier or leash by the door, a few days of food and water, any medications, and a copy of your pet’s records and vaccine history. Make sure the microchip is registered with your current phone number. If you’re told to evacuate, take your pets with you.

When it clears.

Once the AQI is back under 100 (under 50 for higher-risk pets) and you can’t see haze or smell smoke, regular walks are fine. If your pet was coughing, ease back in over a day or two, and call us if the cough doesn’t clear.

Smoke and heat together are harder on pets than either alone. On hot, hazy afternoons, check the ground too with our Hot Pavement Checker.

Ezra Ameis, DVM
Paw Priority, Los Angeles

Sources: LA County Department of Public Health, Veterinary Public Health (wildfire pet safety fact sheet); American Veterinary Medical Association (wildfire smoke and animals); U.S. EPA (protect your pets from wildfire smoke; Air Quality Guides for particle pollution and ozone); EPA AirNow. This article is general information and doesn’t replace an exam.