There has been a lot of publicity in the last few years and even recently about dogs being left in hot overheating cars in the hot summers, by now most people know that hot cars are a real danger for dogs but there are still some of you out there that don’t seem to take the situation serious enough or don’t realize how quickly the situation can change.
Every year dogs die because they are trapped in a heated car while their owners go into a shop, store, or any other situation where the dog will be left for long periods of time.
Photo Credit: Mot/Flickr
Dogs do not have the ability to sweat in heated conditions causing them to overheat a lot quicker than humans, along with the dog’s big fur coat; this makes a recipe for disaster on a hot day. As the heat rises outside it can be less than 10 minutes before your dog is screaming to get out in the agonizing heat of the car.
You may think that your car windows being slightly open will help your dog and keep them cool, but this is not the case.
If your car windows are slightly open then there will not be enough fresh air coming in to cool your dog quickly enough and if you have your windows fully open you risk losing your dog in an unfamiliar place or even getting stolen.
When a dog overheats it causes a very agonizing death, if you have to rescue or treat an overheated dog you should cool them down with cool water ( not cold, this could cause too much shock to the system), or use a wet towel and wrap them in it, feed them cool water or a nice ice cube to lick and then proceed to consult a vet about the situation and get a full examination for your dog.
Reader's Comment
Thank you for this educational piece on the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars! Every year around the country, dogs die after being locked inside cars while their owners shop or run other errands. These tragic deaths are entirely preventable.
United Animal Nations (UAN) operates the My Dog is Cool Campaign to let people know that leaving a dog in a car for even “just a few minutes” may be too long.
About the Author
By: John Williams
For more information visit our dog training website John Williams Dog Training
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