Dog Walkers ?Pay Attention to the Heat

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     At the time of writing this, the United State is going through an enormous heat wave. States and townships all over are recording record highs for this time of year. With August still to come and holding the promise of even greater temperatures, folks all over are being forced to take measures to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Unfortunately, the loved ones that are often neglected in times like these are our pets. It is important to take notice that they need many of the same precautions and protections that their owners will receive in times like this.

It is a little known fact that heat waves responsible for more deaths than all other natural disasters combined (citation: National Weather Service). Despite this, many still take risks within their own health out of sheer ignorance and bravado. Needlessly braving the heat without adequate fluids is often seen as a sign of toughness rather than stupidity. It is often not stupidity, but rather ignorance and forgetfulness that lead to pets being left out in the heat. Since most non-domesticated animals live their lives outside, we assume that it is no big deal for our pets to do the same. But this is not the case at all. Domestic animals are just as capable of suffering from heat stroke as humans. Every year, thousands of beloved pets die because they did not have proper access to cool areas and/or water on the summer's hottest days.

This awareness is especially important for dog walkers. Dog walkers typically take their animal for a walk at their convenience, which does not necessarily coincide with the optimum time for their dog to receive exercise. Dogs do not have sweat glands (with sweat starting and then stopping being a tell tale sign of heat stroke in humans), so it is more difficult to tell when they are in danger of suffering heat stroke. They may pant incessantly, but this is not abnormal for a dog to do on a cool day. Also, do not assume that just because your dog may be bred to handle the heat (e.g. most herding dogs) better than others (e.g. a Siberian husky or Alaskan malamute).

Luckily, heat stroke is usually preventable if the proper precautions are taken. The easy way to prevent the problem is to allow your pet to come indoors on days when heat index gets to eighty degrees and above. However, many owners are unable or unwilling to go with that option ?but there are precautions that can be taken for an outdoor pet: 1) Always make sure that your pet has access to water. Filling up multiple bowls of water before you leave the house is one possibility or you can get an automatic spigot. 2) Please make sure that shade is available to your pet. Do not tie your animal to tree or put it into a small space where the sun will eventually remove all aspects of shade. 3) And never ever leave your dog alone in a vehicle on even a semi-warm day!

If you think your pet is in danger of suffering from heat stroke (increased heart rate that will not subside, diarrhea, hot body to the touch), you can cover it with wet towels and ice packs to help get body temperature down. Please make sure to suffer veterinary care at this point ?heat stroke can cause death even after the symptoms begin to subside.