PITFALLS OF SUMMER HEAT

This is the time of year when mother nature can turn against man and beast alike. High heat and humidity, so prevalent across the country, can be a real killer affecting everyone and everything in its path if proper care and precautions are not taken. While man may take care of himself, dogs do not always have that opportunity and need man’s attention. Unfortunately, sometimes the dog is overlooked, ignored or neglected at the very time when common sense and simple steps can save his life.

What To Avoid

Never, never leave your dog in a vehicle in the hot sun with the windows rolled up or cracked. A vehicle can quickly heat up to well over 100 degrees in less than 5 minutes.

Be careful of a hot pavement. A pavement that supposedly can get so hot as to “fry an egg” can be detrimental to your dog’s paw pads.

If you like to take your dog for walks or biking, avoid the high heat of the day. Take early morning walks or very late evening walks. A dog that has been in air conditioning all day can easily be overcome by a walk on a hot day.

If your dog remains outdoors during the summer, then shade must be provided with plenty of accessible fresh cool water. A dog house is not a good place to get shade as the house heats up and retains the heat. When the weather holds in the 90’s, if possible bring your dog indoors. A cool, well ventilated garage or basement is a viable option.

In the summer months, shipping can be a problem. Airlines are becoming much more strict on when they will ship dogs. If possible, avoid shipping dogs during the summer months. If you have to ship, make sure you have direct flights and ship very early in the morning or late at night and time arrival during the cool part of the day on the other end..

What To Look For

Veterinarian Joel Fisher offered these suggestions of what to look for in a dog that may be suffering from heat distress:

Early Stages:

• Heavy panting
• Rapid breathing
• Excessive drooling
• Bright red gums and tongue
• May be standing 4 square, posting or spreading out trying to maintain balance

Advanced Stages:

• Gums may be white or blue
• Lies down, unwilling to move
• May defecate or urinate uncontrollably
• Difficult and noisy breathing
• Shock

What To Do

Dr. Fisher recommends that anyone with a dog exhibiting early signs of heat distress should immediately begin cooling down the dog and contact a Veterinarian. The quicker you respond and begin getting the dog cooled down, the better chance your dog has of surviving. Once a dog has reached the advanced stages, the situation is very serious and requires immediate Veterinarian care.

He offers these suggestions for cooling down a dog with early signs:- Apply rubbing alcohol on the dog’s paw pads. Apply ice packs to the groin area, hose down with cool water, allow the dog ice chips to lick and offer only small amounts of water to drink, either from a bowl or spray bottle. Offer Pedialyte to the dog to restore the electrolytes. If you're not with a Veterinarian during the cooling down process, take the dog's temperature every 10 minutes, so as not to lower the body temperature too low. Once the temperature is between 100 and 102 degrees, you should discontinue the cooling down process.

Be Prepared

Of course prevention is the best cure. Consider the following:

• If your dog must be kept outdoors, provide a child’s wading pool filled with fresh water for your dog to cool off in.
• Dogs with lighter coats and skin color may need sunblock on their noses and tips of their ears.
• Be especially vigilant with double-coated dogs (such as Chows, Alaskan Malamutes, and many of the Arctic breeds) and brachycephalic dogs (such as Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, English Toy Spaniels, Japanese Chins, Pugs, and Pekingese). Make sure the brachycephalic dogs have a clear airway, not obstructed by phlegm or saliva.
• When shipping a dog during warmer months, provide ice packs, ice blankets or ice bottles in the crate with the dog. Provide an accessible container of fresh water, as well as a container of frozen water allowed to thaw over the period of the trip.
• Anytime you must travel with your dog, take your own shade. Invest in a reflective blanket for your windshield, as well as breathable sunblock tarps. Also consider carrying a fan. It can be plugged into a generator, if you have one. If not, invest in a battery operated fan.
• Always have plenty of fresh water and a water bowl on hand.
• Take towels or wet blankets for your dog.
• Keep a spray bottle filled with cold water on hand to spray on your dog to keep it cooled down.
• Have an ice chest packed with ice and ice packs.
• Take 2 litter soft drink bottles, fill them with water and freeze. These can be placed in a crate to keep the dog cool. Blankets placed over ice packs have the same affect. There are products on the market called ice blankets that can be wetted down and frozen and placed in the bottom of crates.
• Always have unflavored Pedialyte (can be purchased in the infant section of Grocery or Drug stores) on hand for your dog and Gatorade for yourself to restore needed electrolytes.
• Have 2 sets of car keys with you at all times. Then if you must stop somewhere with your dog in the vehicle, you can leave the vehicle and air conditioning running (with slightly opened windows) while you quickly take care of business. Your dog should always be crated in the vehicle. Crates should be well ventilated.
• If you have a motor home or truck that you must leave with the generator running, check back often and have a neighbor help you monitor the generator. Manufacturers now have devices that will notify you if the generators should malfunction. Also, thermo devices are available that will sound an alarm if the inside temperature reaches a certain level.
• Never leave a motor home, van or truck completely shut up, even if you have the generator and AC running. Partially open a window or door or run the exhaust fan.

Warning: Mechanical devices, such as generators and air conditioners, can and will malfunction - a dog’s safety should not be dependent on these devices.

The most important thing to remember is that a dog needs you to look out for his needs and well-being. He depends on your guidance and care. He should never be left unattended and unsupervised for any length of time. Without proper precautions, heat can kill.

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