Be a Cool Dog Owner & Keep your Dog Cool!
Those Dog Days of Summer are well upon us and I can't help but feel extra uncomfortable for my black dog, Buster.
The funny thing is that he doesn't really seem to mind the extreme heat we're experiencing in PA right now (just as he doesn't seem to mind 6 feet of snow in the middle of blistering winter storm either). This is when we have to be extra careful for our pets. Yes, make sure water is available at all times for our pets, but that's not always enough.
Here in PA, we're in the midst of a heat wave and expected to hit record temperatures. When we have extremely hot weather like this, we keep Buster active in a cool 
way.
If he needs a potty break, we take a quick walk and try to stay in the shade.
For his exercise outside, we will take him to the lake, to the river, or have him play in his own baby pool. The problem with the baby pool is that our first one was an inflatable one. I guess Buster thought it was a big, inflatable toy because the pool didn't last more than 15 minutes before it was reduced to a lifeless, plastic pancake and no longer able to hold water.
My wife, Tina, was able to find a heavy duty pool that has survived several playtimes for Buster so far.
This one is not as fun to bite and he gets his exercise in a fun, cool way.
Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that takes the lives of many animals every year. With heat stroke, irreversible damage and death can occur. Even with plenty of water, a dog can become overheated when exercising on a hot, humid day. Dogs at risk are elderly dogs, overweight dogs, certain breeds of hunting dogs, dogs who are overexerting themselves in hot weather, and dogs with short snouts like pugs and bulldogs.
Some signs to look for:
1) your dog becomes slow and unresponsive or appears disoriented
2) the gums, tongue, and conjunctiva of the eye may be bright red and he'll probably be panting hard.
3) your dog may start vomiting, collapse or seizure
If any of these things happen, treat it as an emergency and get your dog to the veterinary hospital right away. You can put cool (not cold) towels on your dog and feed him ice chips (if he's conscious).
When the summer heat hits hard, be mindful of your pets... Be a Cool Dog Owner & Keep your Dog Cool!
David Artigliere is a Home Inspector in Pottstown, Norristown, Reading & Surrounding Eastern PA.
David is the owner of ARTI Home Inspections LLC and offers Home Inspections 7 days a week! Visit his website at www.artihomeinspections.com or call 610-220-1907.
Comments(17)