Put yourself in Fido's paws when it's hot
Cindy Wolff The Commercial Appeal Memphis, TN
It should go without saying that if it's too hot for you to be outside, it's too hot for your pets. Still, there are people who insist on making a poor dog suffer through the heat because they don't want dirt or dog hair in their homes.
Dogs are like air-cooled engines. They pant to cool down. They drink cold water. They need shade. Dr. David Hannon has seen some cases of heat stroke and heat exhaustion this summer.
The dog usually has collapsed. It is panting excessively, and its tongue has turned purple. If you find your dog in that situation, immediately cool it down with a water hose and get it to your veterinarian. If it can be saved, the dog will need to be hydrated and its temperature checked. Sometimes the damage is done and major organs have been injured .
Hannon said some people will take their obese dog out walking or running in the heat of the day. "The dog collapses a block or two from home and they are surprised," said Hannon. "You should limit exercise during the hot summer months. Do it only in the morning or long after sunset, and for short periods."
Hannon also sees a lot of rabbits in heat stroke. He said they also cool down by panting, and their hutch can become like an oven in the hot afternoon. He says some people will freeze plastic soda bottles and put them in the cage for a rabbit to sit near, or will put a fan on part of the hutch.
He said he rarely sees cats in heat stroke. They are nocturnal and tend to move around at night. During the day they find shaded places to sleep. He said the only cases of heat stroke he has encountered with cats are ones that climb into a clothes dryer and the owner turns it on. "I've never seen one die of a broken neck in the dryer, but I've seen plenty suffer heat stroke and die in a dryer."
---- Cindy Wolff, the owner of three spoiled dogs, can be reached by e- mailing wolff@commercial appeal.com, or by sending mail to The Commercial Appeal,
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