1. A SpringTime ReminderaboutHeatstroke inPets
Withspringuponus the warmer weatherandsunnydaysoftenencourage ustoget our petsoutof the
house andhave themtag alongon car rides,grocerytrips,parkvisits.It’sthe worththe time to mention
againthat it isveryriskyto leave the animalsinthe car, evenif itisfor justa minute.The tempsare
risingandso is the riskfor ourdogs to become hyperthermic(abnormallyhighbodytemperature) or
worse,experienceheatstroke.
The AmericanVeterinaryMedical Associationreportsthattemperaturesinside of aparked,turnedoff
vehicle rise upto20 degreesinjusttenminutes.Intwentyminutesthe vehiclecanreachover30
degreesabove the outsidetemperature,evenwithwindowscracked!Inotherwords,overthe course of
an hour ona 70 degree day,the inside tempof aparkedcar couldreach 110 degrees,afatallyhigh
temperature foranyanimal,foranyamountof time.
Normal bodytemperature of dogsisaround99-102 degrees,muchhigherthantheirhuman
counterparts.Despite the higherthanhumanstemperature ouranimal friendsabsolutelycannot
tolerate heatthe a parkedcar will reach.Ina dogor cat, a bodytemperature over104 becomesvery
seriousandat 106 the petmay be sufferingfrommultipleorganfailure (the heart,kidneys,liver
becomesendangered).
Heat stroke isa veryseriousconditionandone thatcan be difficultforthe pettorecoverfrom evenwith
immediate andthoroughveterinarycare.Thatiswhere the oldaddage of 'preventionisthe best
medicine'comesintoplay;itismuchsaferto avoidthe possibilityaltogetherandjustleave yourpets
and/oronlyleave themina parkedvehicle if youcanleave the airconditioneron.