South African summer is here

With the temperatures running into the 30’s the past week, it was distressing to see that there are still dog owners who do not understand the risk of walking their dog in the heat of the day. So let’s discuss the reasons why this should not be done.

Heatstroke in dogs are real and an absolute emergency. A dog with heatstroke can die within an hour. Even with emergency treatment, the survival rate is far from 100%. You do not have to walk your dog in the heat for heatstroke to occur. It can happen when a dog is in a car (even if windows are open), playing on the beach, or in your yard without proper shade. Symptoms can include excessive panting, fast heart rate, vomiting, muscle spasms (cramps), weakness, diarrhea, disorientation, seizures. Treatment starts even before you arrive at the vet. Start cooling your dog down by wetting the dog with water (not ice water or ice), put a fan on the dog, make sure it is in the shade, drape wet towels over the back of the dog. Remember, heatstroke cause organs to fail, even if your dog does cool down, you still need to urgently see your vet.

Sand, tar and paving can get really hot on a warm day. Most (if not all) humans wear shoes while walking their dog and is are unaware of the temperature of the road. On a 25C degree day, the tar can heat up to 52C degrees, on a 31C degree day to 62C degrees. These temperatures can burn the pads on a dog’s feet, causing blisters and open wounds. Unfortunately the pads are a part of the dog’s body which not all owners inspect regularly, which means these wounds can go unnoticed, causing a lot of pain.

Try not leave your dog in a car during a heatwave, even with windows open. A car heats up extremely quickly (within minutes). Rather leave Fluffy at home where it is nice and cool when you are doing a long shop.

Have a safe summer!

Written by Jolanda Spies (volunteer at Langebaan animal care)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *