With temperatures at blistering levels (especially if you are a dog with your bare footpads on the asphalt, something else to watch out for as you walk to and from the park or around the neighborhood), please consider driving, not walking, your dogs to the park. Last weekend, I noticed a dog down the street, his tongue almost dragging, and his person was too busy on her cell phone to notice that her dog was about to drop. Some time back, I stopped my car when I saw a dog walking peculiarly—sometimes the first sign of heat prostration. It was too late. Dog, guardian, and I made it to Dog and Cat Hospital in a matter of 10 minutes or so, but the dog’s brain temperature was too high, and the vet put the suffering dog down. Her guardian said, “I had no idea. She seemed fine in the dog park!”

a.. Please look out for problems. People often haven’t a clue that dogs do not perspire as we do, that they are like furnaces on a hot day, desperately trying to get heat out through their open mouths.

b.. Carry water with you to douse dogs and give them a drink.

c.. Stick to the shade, and ask others to do the same.

d.. Be prepared to give a ride, if you can, to dogs in difficulty.

e.. Drive with your dog in the air conditioning or with the windows down a few inches (not enough for the dog to jump out) if you don’t have air conditioning.

f.. NEVER leave your dog unattended, locked in a car or in the back of a pick-up truck; even on a cool day, cars can overheat quickly, in the sun.

g.. Don’t walk, even if you need the exercise yourself.
Post alerts about hot dogs on bulletin boards.

h.. Visit http://www.HelpingAnimals.com for more tips.

Thank you.

http://www.helpinganimals.com/f-hotdog.asp

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - July 29, 2005