It's super hot here in the Midwest! In fact, it's unbearable! We are having a heatwave like I've not seen in a long time. I know that most of my blog buddies are true animal lovers and know how to take care of their pets, I know this by the many photos I see of totally spoiled cats and dogs! But someone might just stumble upon my blog that could be new to having a pet, or maybe even a child who is old enough to read but doesn't know about the dangers of dogs and heat stroke.
So please, everyone watch your pets carefully these hot summer days. Unfortunately I am seeing the bad side of this heat with animals this week. Today I didn't have a doctor in and a woman who was traveling came running into the clinic carrying her limp dog. We called all the vets in the area before we could find one that would take him. Even though we found one, I'm sure it was too late. This dog's temperature was 109 degrees and his tongue was purple. A normal temp for a dog or cat is 101 to 102 degrees. A temp of 106 is usually fatal or can cause enough damage to the organs to be unrepairable. As I watched her drive away I knew the dog would die before they even reached the other vet.
As I'm writing this post, my Mom calls and tells me that she just read in the paper that 3 dogs in her city died in cars yesterday. It hasn't just been in cars. Dogs and cats are dying from being outside in the extreme heat. My heart is breaking!!!
Just a couple of minutes in a car or sitting out in the hot sun is all it takes when the temps are high. Also, don't even take your dogs out if your car has no air conditioning. Dogs are not like people, they don't perspire. The only way they can cool off is by panting although some perspiration can be released through their paws. But it's not enough for their bodies to cool down.
So make sure you dog (or your cat) has a cool spot to rest and has lots of water to drink. I'm sorry if I offended anyone by writing a post such as this but I've worked at the animal clinic for 3 years and it breaks my heart when I have to watch animals suffer and die. It doesn't matter who's pet it is or if I even know them, it's so hard! And the thing that makes it even harder is to know that many of these deaths could have been prevented. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this.
Photo Above: Bubba on a recent trip to Michigan. He likes to go with us.