Its heat'n up

Good morning, nice and cool at the moment but heating up quickly I'm afraid. Yesterday it hit 100 here; and I was cranky about it. It's just too hot to do anything; and it's not only me, the dogs were strewn around the house completely crashed. Only Jessie got up to greet me when I got home, Tilley was asleep in the cool room downstairs and Luke was on my bed. He was happy to see me but not so much that he felt the need to move from his position.

Unfortunately many dogs die every year from heat stroke. Most in cars but some simply from being out in the extreme heat or being exercised when it's just too hot. I have personally had announcements made over the PA system over a half a dozen times because people have left their dog in the car. Dogs don't enjoy sitting in a car; believe it or not. They are left waiting, just waiting and if it is hot then they are suffering as well. A dog should not be left in a car if the temperature is even 70 degrees, it get's way hotter in your car than it is outside.

When it came time for me to get a new vehicle I steered away from black because of this fact alone. This had nothing to do with my dogs as I never take them in the car to wait. It was because I don't want to suffer from the temperatures that a black car gets, but even my red one heats up. Death can come quickly for a dog left in a car. Dogs cool themselves by panting but if the heat gets to be too much they simply cannot get rid of the excess hit fast enough.

This is a great article on hyperthermia that details what heat stroke is, the signs and what to do if you think your dog has heat stroke. So please if you have places to go and people to see, leave your dog in the safety of your home.