Summer is just around the corner, and we are already being rewarded with warm temperatures and bright sunshine. When the temperatures reach the 80° mark, our furry friends have a lot to do with managing the warm weather. Logically, the summer conditions are extremely hard for senior, ill, or chubby dogs. Their organism is hardly damaged, and it is much more challenging for them to keep their body temperature low.
Always reflect: Dogs only have a few sweat glands and have a more challenging time cooling their bodies down. We should rather romp and play less on warm days, especially at lunchtime. When it has already cooled down, it is best to use the early morning hours and evenings to do our walks.
A dog can only control its body temperature via the sweat glands on its paws and nose and panting. Therefore, heatstroke increases many times if the dog cannot stay in a cool room. The worst example is still a car parked in the sun.
One of the most life-threatening errors people can make is to leave a dog in an auto during hot weather. Dogs can’t sweat, as humans do, to cool themselves off via evaporation, so they have to pant to cool themselves. If the air they are taking in is too hot (as it is in a parked car in hot weather), panting has a little cooling effect, and the dog quickly overheats.
After temperatures have soared into the triple, we urge dog owners to ensure their pet is properly cared for in the scorching sun.
Temperatures had soared coming into the hotter months, resulting in a dog reportedly dying from the extreme heat. Animal Rights workers have previously found a dog’s body after the dog had been killed from being chained up, unable to escape the hot sun.
Reports of dog deaths in high heat are continuously rolling from all over the United States. Recently a patrol officer mistakenly left his dog in the patrol car on a hot day. The K-9 trapped in the vehicle had sadly succumbed to heat prostration and passed away.
In 2020, 45 canines were reported dead due to extreme heat exposure or heart-related complication, with their suspicion that the figure is likely much higher, seeing as most of these deaths go unreported under the assumption that the cause of death was something entirely different.
We have urged that down owners be more vigilant in the future. With a list of things to be mindful of as the weather heats up:
- Always put your hand on the pavement before leaving the house with your dog to ensure it is not hot enough to burn your dog’s footpads.
- Try and keep to the shaded and grassy area when out on a walk.
- Never leave your dog in a vehicle – even during the winter.
- If your dog is outside in high temperatures, ensure they have adequate shade, water, and food.
- Keep an eye out for heavy panting and curled tongues; this indicates that your dog is overheating as dogs do not sweat like humans to cool down.
We have also warned that leaving any animal outside when the weather is hot, knowing they will be subjected to extreme temperatures, is a form of animal cruelty. As such, any owners found abusing their pet in this fashion are liable to prosecution.
