Heatstroke

Friday, June 21 was the official first day of summer.  I have already seen two dogs left in hot cars while their pet parents dashed into a store.  It only takes minutes for the temperature to become dangerously hot in a car, even if you are parked in the shade.

Here’s a link to a good article about heatstroke:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/pets/articles/d139

I intend to print it and keep copies in my car.  Yeah, I will be that obnoxious person who lives it on someone’s car window.   Let’s all be obnoxious.  Maybe we can save some lives.

Rescue Mommy

Heat Stroke Article Revisited

The heat wave started much earlier than normal here in the South. While taking Gracie for a walk one afternoon, I noticed that she abruptly decided that she would not take another step. She does this if she has found something intriguing in a direction I do not want to go. She also does this when she is too hot in the summer time. Usually, though, she makes a beeline for her favorite bed of clover, which is in the shade of a giant weeping willow tree. This day, though, she stopped where she was.

It finally occurred to me what the problem might be. We were at a point in the driveway where it is all gravel, no grass anywhere. I touched the gravel. It was hot. Can you blame her for not wanting to walk further? I scooped her into my arms and carried her back to the portion that had grass on which she could walk. We returned to the house, where she cooled down with a bowl of cold water.

I know all of you are responsible pet owners who would never leave your buddy in a parked car. Heat stroke is not simply a “locked in the car” problem. It can happen on walkies or any other time. The article for which I have attached a link is worth reading:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/Avoiding-Canine-Heat-Stroke-20306-1.html

I hope you find this article as interesting as we did. Happy summer!

Rescue Mommy