heat warning

[Wendy V]

I know you've all heard it before but I felt the need to remind all of the dangers of overheating your dog, now that summer is here.

 

After exercise, make sure your dog gets plenty time and opportunity to cool down. This takes much longer than we believe, especially in HUMID weather conditions.

 

If traveling, crate or tie dogs in SHADE, with plenty of AIR FLOW. Dogs can quickly become overcome by heat in a car, even if all doors are open.

 

Plenty of water, of course. Google "canine heat stroke" and become educated as to the signs of heat exhaustion/stroke and it's remedies. Overheating a dog can quickly become an emergency situation and must be treated as such!

 

Prayers to my friend's dog, who is fighting kidney failure after suffering heat stroke in an OPEN VEHICLE. May we all take greater care this summer.

 

Wendy V

[Zoe]

Great post Wendy. Never hurts to be reminded. Thank you. And I hope your friend's dog pulls through.

[juliepoudrier]

Wow, Wendy. Mine often stay in an open vehicle (in the shade, with water, and with crate fans). Were there any other extenuating circumstances? I hope your friend's dog gets better.

 

J.

[Dixie_Girl]

Great post! Also, if your dogs are like mine and used to being inside in a/c the heat can affect them even quicker! It is so hard for my crew to have to stay home in the summer when I go somewhere, but they are happy when I come home and that is better than coming out of store to find your dog overcome by heat! We love the winter!

[Wendy V]

"Were there any other extenuating circumstances?"

 

Shade and air flow might have made the difference. Frankly, there was not much shade available and most trial participant's dogs were crated in vans with water. Some had reflective tarps, some didn't. The most extenuating circumstance was that it was the first heat of the season and it was a doozy. We went from 40 degrees to over 90 in a week, with accompanied high humidity. Frankly, ALL participant's dogs were at risk.

 

Unfortunately, the dog's kidney values continue to deteriorate.

[Shetlander]

Yes, very timely warning. A member at my club lost her dog to heat stroke on Monday. Another member had taken him to a dog show over the weekend and says that he died in his crate while she was driving home. Not sure of all the circumstances, but a perfectly healthy 3 1/2 year old dog basically cooked to death. The vet who did the autopsy said the core temp had reached 120 degrees. I don't know how they can tell something like that, but my friend is in anguish over losing her dog to such a terrible death.

 

Sorry about your friend's dog. Really hope he pulls through.

[Wendy V]

The young dog's suffering due to acute renal failure came to an end this afternooon. He died in his owner's loving embrace.

[juliepoudrier]

I am so sorry. Please let her know that I am thinking of her--what a horrible way to lose your dog.

 

J.

[bc friend]

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's dog. Like I posted a while back, my Sara's mother died of heat stroke a few yrs ago while playing with the other dogs in her backyard and her owner was right there, rushed her to an ER but it was too late. Another concern on the Gulf Coast is making sure you can keep the dogs cool if you have to evacuate due to hurricanes. Last year quite a few dogs died during the traffic gridlock out of the Houston area. My vet was helping out at the emergency clinic (she lives far enough north not to have to evacuate) and was really upset over the number of cell phone calls the clinic received from frantic owners stuck on the side of the road in the heat with dogs who were sick or dying - and there was little the staff could tell people to do under the circumstances.

[KrisK]

I am so sorry that your friend lost her companion. But I want to thank you for reminding us all that our dogs count on us to do the right things for them especially when it comes to their health.

[Miztiki]

I'm so sorry to hear that your friend's dog didn't make it. Please send along my condolences. What a terrible tragedy.

[Allie Oop]

Even in dry heat (dry as dust and almost 0 humidity) like we have here in Utah, when the temperatures climb into the 80's plus, there are terrible stories of pups in cars dying. I can recall one particularly horrific incident from last year (we had like 15 days in a row of 105+) where a dog was left in a car, windows part way down, for about 30 min. while the owner was in visiting his dad. I won't go into the agonies, but passers by were frantically trying to break the windows. (Ok, I can't type any more about it because it chokes me up too much.)

 

I don't usually even take Allie in the car when it gets that hot.

 

Thanks for the timely reminder!

[WyoBC]

I'm so sorry to hear about him. Tell your friend that I'm sorry. God always takes the good ones first. God Bless

[Millie&MeBC]

Thank you for making this post. People get tired of hearing it sometimes, but I think the more the better. It is important to be conscious of how the heat is affecting your animals.