THE state's peak animal body is desperately trying to reduce the risk of pets dying in extreme summer heat after several dogs died last summer.

The RSPCA is pleading with pet owners to keep their dogs in shade and hydrated as potentailly fatal temperatures continue to rise. Last year several dogs died, two of them after they became entangled while tethered in the back yard.

Parts of the state are bracing for an extreme heatwave in the lead up to Christmas and forecasters expect temperatures in Ipswich will consistently remain above the December average of 30.8 degrees well into next week.

RSPCA spokesperson Michael Beatty said while a dog could survive for days without food, extreme temperatures presented a much higher risk to their health.

"If they don't have shade or can't reach water they'll die," Mr Beatty said .

"A rope or a chain can easily become entangled in furniture or plants and that can be fatal. It's far better to make the yard or courtyard secure and then it won't be necessary to tether the dog in the first place. We would also recommend that there are at least two to three containers of water in case one gets knocked over"

Me Beatty said despite the repeated warnings, people were still leaving animals in the car or on the back of utes.

"People simply have to be aware of the dangers. If it's 30 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can potentially rise to well over 40 degrees in less than five minutes," he said.

"We tested a light coloured sedan and the temperature rose to 57 degrees in 12 minutes. Any animal left inside would have been dead."

"Exercising dogs in the middle of the day can also be dangerous at this time of the year. They tend to overheat very quickly and once their temperature rises above 40 degrees they can die."

Mr Beatty said if a dog was suffering from heat stress it was imperative to get its temperature down as quickly as possible.

"Hose them down with water and better still place ice packs on their head and stomach. It's no good rushing them to the vet in a hot car because the chances are their temperature will continue to rise. Try to cool them down first," he said.