Summer has officially started, but temperatures that make for great beach-going time for you pose a deadly risk to your dog.
You have to remember: dogs are physically adapted to conserve and recycle heat. They don’t cool by sweating; heat generated by exercise (even just the physiology of body functions) is trapped inside. Their fur coats insulate them further. Brachycephalic (short face) dogs such as the bulldog, pug, boxer and Pekingese have it even harder because they can’t pant as sufficiently as other dogs, which compounds heat-related issues. However, if you trap any dog in a hot area with no way for them to release or escape that heat, their body will become so stressed that it can cause death – and it can happen very quickly, too.
To keep your dog safe and cool this summer, keep these tips in mind.
Cars are Coffins
If it’s been said once, it’s been said a thousand times: don’t leave your dog in a car during the summer. Even with the windows cracked, it can turn deadly in minutes.
I wrote about summer heat and cars last year here on Paw Print Genetics (read it here), and linked to this video that ...