I watched a rerun of The Office this week, while brushing the thick coat of my Pyrenees to save her from overheating in the hot Missouri sun, and I realized it’s probably a good time to remind everyone about the danger of leaving a pet in the car, even if it’s relatively comfortable weather outside. During the episode, the group finds a dog in a locked vehicle in the company parking lot. They are concerned that it’s too hot in the car, even though it’s nice outside. Kevin sits in a car for a while to test it out, and yes, it’s too hot. They try a few different ways to help the dog. They poured an iced beverage into the open sunroof, but the dog isn’t interested. Instead of calling for help like they should, Oscar breaks the window (then the taillight for good measure). This is not exactly what you should do, but it is a good reminder that pets can get overheated in a car, even on a nice day. Sometimes we think 70 degrees is just perfect weather, but when we go out for a drive and stop by the ice cream store, the pet we leave in the car is in danger of heat exhaustion that could lead quickly to organ failure. Temperatures inside a car can reach 40 degrees more than temperatures outside the car, probably more depending on sunlight and humidity, and cracking the window actually does very little to change that jump in temperature. You’ve probably seen the cute little dog driving a car with the temperature chart showing how hot it may actually feel, but legally, since I shouldn’t use someone else’s photo without permission, I figured I’d explain in comparison how hot those temperatures actually are. A nice 75 degrees outside feels like 118 degrees inside the car. This feels like
A warm 81 degrees outside feels like 138 degrees inside the car. This feels like
A hot 94 degrees outside feels like 145 degrees inside the car. This feels like
Follow this rule: It’s too hot to leave your dog in the car if it’s over 70 degrees. It’s probably too hot for a Pyrenees full of winter hair if it’s over 65 degrees. Harley gets lots of swimming trips during the summer, not that we have to take her. She finds her own places to swim, whether a pond or a puddle, to cool off. Many people get seasonal affective disorder during the winter, but Harley and other Pyrenees probably get it during the summer. They are not fans of green grass and tank top weather, but give them a good snow, and they turn into crazy nuts, rolling around in the excitement. We’ll treat her to a snow cone or two this summer. Remember, keep your pet safe and keep them cool! If you see a pet in a hot car, try to find the owners in any nearby business by having someone call over the intercom with make, model, and license number, but if the pet is in distress in a hot car, just call emergency personnel. Have a great summer, get out and enjoy the outdoors, take a nice drive, and keep your pet safe!
1 Comment
2/9/2018 01:52:45 pm
What a lovely article, safety is the number 1 thing every driver should think about. Thank you a lot for the tips!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Jessica Stroupe, DVM
Archives
August 2017
|