Dog Days Weather Can Dog A Pet

By Nancy K. Crevier

When the Dog Days of summer set in between mid-July and mid-August, sultry heat that lingers in the air long after the sun has set makes it hard to think about anything beyond a tall, cold drink and a cool ocean breeze.

Ancients, believing that Sirius, the Dog Star, was the source of additional heat that caused the very hot weather, sacrificed a brown dog at the start of Dog Days to temper Sirius’s anger. We know now that the Dog Star has no effect on the heat and humidity, but if we do not pay close attention to our four-footed friends at the height of summer’s heat, they might just feel that they are being sacrificed to the gods of hot weather.

Adria Henderson sees a lot of pets during the summer, a popular vacation time. Her company, Safe At Home, provides in-home care for pets while their owners are away. The first step in ensuring a pet’s comfort during the summer heat, she said, is to leave the air-conditioning on in the part of the house in which the pet stays. “They also forget that if a pet is cooped up in a crate for a period of time they must have access to water and air movement during the summer. A fan to move the air around is a must if the dog is confined,” she suggested. Ms Henderson also advocates a water bottle that attaches to the crate.

Because dogs and cats can easily tip over a bowl of water, it is a good idea to use a water tower that fills automatically and is heavy enough to remain stable, even when unsupervised rough-housing is going on. Adding ice cubes to the water is as much a pleasure for dogs as it is for humans.

“Certainly if the dog is kept outside, it should have sufficient water buckets and shade. When the temperature climbs, there should be an area inside where the dog can be kept out of the heat,” said Ms Henderson.

Keeping cool in a pool is fun for people and fun for dogs, too, said Ms Henderson. “I have seen families provide water fun for their dogs with everything from the small plastic children’s wading pools to regular swimming pools,” she said. She has even doggie-sat for a family who built a walk-in wading pool and swimming hole adjacent to their own pool, just for the family dogs. “They even had special “doggie” pool towels with the dogs’ names on them,” said Ms Henderson.

Kristen Angell, a graphic designer by day and pet-sitter by night, has not yet provided her bull mastiff, Murphy, with his own towel, but he does have a kiddie pool for beating the heat.

“Murphy will lie in the driveway, on the hot pavement, and soak up the sun on even the hottest days, so we got him a pool,” said Ms Angell.

Initially, Murphy was hesitant to use the pool, but when he finally got in, said Ms Angell, the 18-month old pup realized it cooled him off. “Now he lives in it.”

Some of Ms Angell’s clients stay with her while their owners vacation. Murphy loves the company, but hates to share his pool, she said.

“If he isn’t in the pool and sees another dog trying to get in, he comes running over and plops right into it,” she said.

Horses And Heat

Newtown horse owner Shelby McChord knows that horses need some TLC during the hazy, crazy days of summer, too, just like other domestic pets. “Horses are cool weather animals,” said Ms McChord. “They are happiest between 15 and 50 degrees. They suffer in the heat.”

Contrary to what many horse owners practice, Ms McChord has found over the years that her equine buddies are most comfortable if kept in their stall during the day. Big fans plus plenty of cool water keep her horses from overheating, and by keeping the stall dark during the day, it is a relatively bug-free environment.

“Then they are turned out all night,” she said. “It is cool and the bugs are sleeping.”

One of the biggest favors you can do a pet, year around, is keep them fit, said Dr Chris Mixon of Newtown Animal Clinic on South Main Street, and that especially pays off in the summer. “Obesity is the number one factor in heat stroke dangers,” said Dr Mixon. “Animals only lose heat through their mouth, they have no sweat glands.”

The bigger the animal, the more difficult it is to bring down the core temperature, and the more likely a pet is going to succumb to heat stroke, one of summer’s health hazards. Other diseases, such as heart problems and diabetes, that can accompany obesity only complicate the problem of heat stroke, Dr Mixon pointed out.

Having practiced in Orlando, Fla., for 11 years prior to moving to Newtown, Dr Mixon has seen a fair share of overheated pets.

“Heat stroke is not such a risk for cats as it is for dogs,” said Dr Mixon. Unless a cat is trapped in a hot environment, it will generally seek out a cooler spot on a hot day. Dogs are more active and more likely to engage in play that can quickly overheat them on a sticky, steamy day.

“Don’t go outside and do anything with a dog that you wouldn’t do yourself,” recommended Dr Mixon. Even walking a dog in hot weather can bring on heat stroke, he said. “Remember, too, that the asphalt gets very, very hot on a day that is over 90 degrees. Dogs don’t have protection for the pads of their feet and can burn them.”

Plenty of fresh water is vital for pets when the dog days of summer settle in. “Hydration is key,” Dr Mixon said.

A safe and fun way to cool water-loving dogs is to let them swim in a pool, pond, or lake. The chlorination in home pools will not harm most dogs, and as long as they know where the steps are, they will find their way out.

If a pet exhibits symptoms of heat stroke, quick action must be taken. Symptoms of heat stroke include panting without producing saliva, weakness, and a body temperature higher than the normal 102 to 105 degrees for dogs. A pet can quickly become comatose when overheated, and that is very dangerous, said Dr Mixon.

“Throw the dog into a tub of cool water and add as much ice as you can, or soak a towel in ice water and wrap the dog in it,” he advised. The brain cannot take extreme heat, he said, so it is important to cool the dog as quickly as possible to avoid brain damage. “If the rectal temperature is over 104 degrees, get the pet to the animal hospital as soon as you can,” said Dr Mixon.

Overall, a dog or cat requires many of the same things on a hot day that humans do, he said. Plenty of liquids, a cool spot in which to rest, and low activity can offset the dangers of hot weather.