This summer has been quite hot, especially for those living in the southern climates. Here are a few tips to put into action if it’s way too hot outside and you have a dog that needs to be walked.
First off, according to The Animal Rescue Site, 25-year-old TikToker Sian Coffey said, “If you cannot hold the back of your hand on the floor for five seconds, it’s too hot.”
@siancoffey7It’s infuriating ##heatwave ##uk ##dog ##dogowner ##idiots ##fypシ ##trending♬ original sound – Sian Coffey
Take that into consideration before taking your dog outside for a walk. All you have to do is go outside and place the back of your hand on the road for five seconds, or the sidewalk you’ll be walking your pet on and if it’s too hot for you to handle, it’s definitely too hot for your dog to handle.
The Scientific and Technical Lead at PHE, Dr Owen Landeg, said in a press release, “Everybody can be affected by high temperatures and most people are aware of good health advice for coping with hot weather. However, it’s important to keep checking on those who are most vulnerable.”
According to PETA, we are only halfway through the year of 2021 and 54 dogs and other animal companions have died due to overheating.
Now that’s just what’s been reported. It’s animal cruelty if a person is knowingly letting the dog scorch, and violators will be prosecuted if caught. With that in mind, we can only imagine that a lot more unreported deaths have happened and there’s truly no telling how many have died this year so far.
“As we experience the first hot weather episode of the year, it’s important for everyone to remember to adapt their behaviours…remember to look out for signs of heat exhaustion and follow our simple health advice to beat the heat,” Dr Owen Landeg said.
Signs that a dog is overheating and potentially on their way to heatstroke is when they are heavy panting, heavy salivating, incontinence, vomiting, diarrhea, urinating blood, or if they have difficulty breathing, they collapse, they have seizures, and/or experience loss of consciousness.
It’s best to have a cool place indoors they can escape the heat and plenty of water they can access to cool themselves off. If you got outside and do the temperature test on the concrete with the back-of-your-hand trick and it’s still too hot, then it’s best to walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s cooler outside.
PETA further said that if you see a dog appearing to be in serious distress from overheating in a parked car, or a dog stuck on a chain in a neighbor’s yard in the blazing heat, then it’s best to call 911 and notify the authorities. You may end up saving that dog’s life.