Avoid Canine Heatstroke

Cool dog: Tip #1

Keep Your Dog Out Of The Car

Canine heatstroke can and should be avoided. With the summer heat increasing, we should be paying more attention to our pets. Here are some tips to help them beat the heat.

Dogs left in cars get hot. That’s a no brainer, or is it. Still far too many people leave their dogs in the car while they pop into the store. Temperatures inside cars rise very quickly. Leaving the window open, even wide open, is not good enough.

The normal temperature for a dog is between 101 and 102.5 Fahrenheit. An increase of only one or two degrees can lead to heatstroke in dogs.

Dogs do not sweat the way that we do. We dispel our body heat by perspiring through the pores in our skin. Dogs can only dispel their heat in two ways, panting and through the soles of their feet. That’s not a very good cooling system. Be kind to your dog. If you’re going to the store, leave the dog at home.

Taking your pampered pet with you may seem cool, but she would rather BE cool. Leave her at home in the shade.

Some people suggest leaving their dogs in the car with the engine running and the doors locked. The owner opens the car with a second set of keys. Not a very good idea and here are three reasons why:

1. To a car thief, getting in is the easy part. Starting the car takes a few seconds more. A thief can have your car and dog and be gone in a matter of seconds. If the thief doesn’t want the dog, what happens to it?

2. If the engine stalls, the interior of the car is going overheat in a matter of seconds because the windows were kept closed. Heatstroke is inevitable.

3. In many states, keeping an unoccupied car running is illegal. You could get a ticket.

4. If you’re travelling alone with your dog and you stop for a bathroom break, take your dog with you. It’s not a hygiene problem. If you are stopping for a meal, plan ahead and find places that accept dogs. More and more places are doing this now.

Do yourself and your dog a favor. If you are going somewhere where you will need to leave your dog in the car, avoid subjecting her to heatstroke and don’t take her in the car at all. She will be much happier and healthier at home.