Would you put your pet in an oven?
Leaving your dog in a car during the summer months is like putting your pet in an oven on high heat. Yes, it’s barely warm at first, but within a few minutes the temperature in an oven can reach its peak. The same thing happens in a car, faster than you think.
A car on a summer day is much hotter than you might imagine, even when parked in the shade. A car acts like a greenhouse, trapping the sun’s heat. In the space of 10 minutes, your cat or dog could be on the verge of death. Consider the outside temperature to be 85 degrees, with the windows open in 10 minutes the temperature will rise to 102 degrees and in 20 minutes it will be 120 degrees inside the car.
A dog’s normal body temperature is around 101 degrees, if left in a hot car for a short period of time it can easily rise to 107 to 108 degrees. Once the body temperature begins to increase, the potential risks to the animal also begin to increase. Heat stroke, brain damage, and even death are some of the things you could face, not to mention severe punishment for animal cruelty if you’re caught leaving your pet in a hot car.
Dogs don’t have sweat pads like humans do; they cool off by panting, which is not a very efficient way to stay cool. Pets left in cars are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to being able to dissipate heat from their bodies. They need to inhale air cooler than their body temperature and in humid weather, trapped in a car, that can be next to impossible.
Many well-intentioned humans think of a parking lot as a shady spot that will keep the car cool, however they don’t remember that the sun doesn’t stay in one place, what was once shady can quickly become the next sunny spot. On hot summer days, do your dog a favor and leave him indoors with the air conditioning on.
Cars aren’t the only place high summer temperatures can cause problems for your pet. As I mentioned earlier, dogs don’t have sweat pads and cool off by panting, which is an inefficient way to cool down. As a result of this, many times a dog can get heat stroke from what may seem like a normal activity for a human. Excessive exercise, such as a hard game of fetch played on a hot, humid day, can cause a dog to suffer from heat stroke. Taking a dog for a long walk on the same type of day is asking for trouble.
Another thing we humans don’t think about is our dog’s feet. We wear some kind of shoe when we are out and about on a hot summer day, we would not go barefoot or walk on hot pavement. However, we rarely think about our dog’s feet, those pads are not made to walk on fire and that’s what pavement is with the sun on it. Hot pavement actually damages a dog’s pads and in extreme cases can cause a serious problem.
What is heat stroke? Even temperatures of 80 degrees can be dangerous. Heat stroke is a serious emergency and one from which many pets do not recover. Living cells have limits of tolerance to temperature, beyond those limits, the cells decompose; they lose their functional capacities and release chemical substances inside that cause adverse reactions. Finally, the cell stops working and dies.
Body temperatures above 107 in a mammal cause cells to break down and the longer that temperature is maintained, the more serious the problem becomes. Pets confined to a space where the temperature and humidity are above tolerable limits for an animal, the body begins to acquire heat from the environment faster than its body can dissipate it. In humans we sweat, which evaporates and cools the surface of the skin, in fur-covered animals they have little or no sweat glands and dissipate excess heat by panting. Unfortunately, panting actually causes more problems since the activity of panting causes the muscles to be used, which generates more body heat.
Keep in mind that time, temperature, and humidity are critical factors that cause heat stroke in animals.
What are the signs of a heat stroke? If you see your pet panting rapidly, salivating, wide-eyed, staggering, or showing signs of weakness, be on the lookout for heat stroke. The advanced stages cause loss of consciousness and the gums will look pale and dry. If you find that your pet is suffering from what you think may be heat stroke and is unable to undergo heat stroke treatment, take your pet to the nearest veterinarian immediately.
Treatment for heat stroke. If you can take your pet’s temperature (I realize we don’t walk around with rectal thermometers in our purses or pockets), do so and any body temperature of 105 degrees or higher is a sure sign of heatstroke. Placing your pet in a tub or cold (not freezing) water is a safe bet, but it’s probably best to hose off cold water and run it over your pet’s body to soak the fur. Be sure to thoroughly wet the pet’s stomach and the inside of the paws. Small dogs get cold faster than large dogs and once the dog gets cold (temperature about 103 degrees) get your pet to the vet as quickly as possible. Then your vet can take over and do whatever is necessary to help alleviate potential damage to your pet’s body cells. Oxygen and intravenous fluids may need to be given.
What does heat stroke do? Highly active cells, such as brain cells, along with intestinal and liver cells, are most affected. Most heat stroke victims are dehydrated and their blood thickens to the point that the heart is under stress as it tries to pump blood through the dog’s body. Blood that is not actively moving can cause blood clots and much more damage, including death. The most important thing to remember is to start cold water treatment as soon as possible to help prevent damage to the body, as well as to get prompt medical treatment.
How to avoid heat stroke. Keep your pet out of hot parked cars, make sure if your pet is outside they have shade and plenty of water to drink. Short-faced dogs like Boxers, Pugs, and Pekingese are at higher risk of heat stroke, as are dogs with heavy coats. Older dogs have less stamina and care should be taken to ensure your pet has a cool, comfortable place to be. Along with age, pets with heart problems, overweight pets, or other physical ailments, hot and humid days are ones a pet should spend indoors in the air conditioner.
Hot and humid days are not the right ones to take your dog to the beach, markets, craft fairs. Parades or carnivals, they have told me that they would really prefer to stay home. Also walk your dog in the morning before the sidewalk gets hot or in the evening after the sun goes down; he remembers that his feet are tender and hot sidewalks hurt.
If it’s too hot for you to be outside, it’s too hot for your dog.