| Summertime-and the livin' is --- HOT!
Even without Global Warming, the Bay Area gets pretty warm during the summer and early fall. If you are lucky enough to live near the coast, the fog can come in to act as a natural air conditioner. Otherwise, you, and your pets can be exposed to temperatures near 100 degrees.
Bright sun and high temperatures can be especially dangerous for a number of pet species. Even those types of animals who are adapted to hot environments can be cooked by too much sun and heat. Let's talk about some of the animals that might need protection, what can happen to them, how to avoid problems, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Dogs: Man's best friend usually knows enough to get out of the hot sun. On a hot afternoon, you will usually find your dog in a shady spot, usually lying on a cool moist lawn if one is available. Even so, he or she is likely to be panting, which is a dog's way of keeping cool. When a dog pants, body water is evaporated from the membranes of the mouth and nose to cool the blood and thus the rest of the body.
Trouble often comes when your dog's best friend, you take the pet out in the hot sun for exercise, a brisk walk or a Frisbee toss. Since the dog wants to be with you and to play with you, the chances of getting overheated go up as the thermometer goes up. Even if you are just taking the dog with you when going to the stores, getting locked in a hot car can be fatal. (If your car is left in the sun, even with the windows open a little, the temperature inside your car will climb to over 130 degrees within 5 minutes. That's enough to kill just about any animal.)
Signs of overheating or heat exhaustion are collapse, loss of consciousness, uncontrolled panting. If allowed to progress, heat exhaustion leads to multiple organ failure, brain damage, and death.
What to do: First, avoid letting your dog get too hot. Don't exercise in the hottest part of the day. Make sure that there is plenty of clean water available to rehydrate. (That's a pretty good suggestion for you as well.) If you dog begins to overheat, get him or her out of the sun to a cool place. If he's still alert and able to drink, let him have some cool water. You can wet the coat down with cool water as well. Once he's cooled off, try not to do anything too strenuous for the rest of the day.
It is an emergency if thing have progressed to heat exhaustion.!
Watch out for those feet! Don't make your pet "firewalk". On bright sunny days, the temperature of the pavement can be over 150 degrees! Maybe not hot enough to fry an egg, but hot enough to cause burns to foot pads. In summer months asphalt pavement can cause burns from as early as 9 AM. Reports exist of causing second-degree burns in humans within 35 seconds during the middle hours from 10 AM to 5 PM. Keep this in mind whenever you take your dog for a walk outside on a hot day. Remember, grassy areas are always much cooler, and even dirt doesn't get as hot as road asphalt or concrete.
Rabbits:
Specifically adapted to cold environments, rabbits have a hard time when things get hot. Temperatures over 85 deg. F can be fatal.
On hot days, try to provide a cool place to rest. If housed outdoors, make sure the enclosure is in the shade. Since evaporation leads to cooling, having the rabbit on moist grass helps cool things down. If you are handy, set up a misting station attached to your garden hose. Kits are available at most hardware stores. In a pinch, freeze water bottles and place these in the enclosure. And make sure that fresh water is always available.
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