by John Jefferson
It’s hot.
But you know that unless you’re an out-of-state reader or work long shifts in an ice plant.
And, we can expect more scorching weather until the first cool front hits about mid-September.
Surely you know that YOU MUST stay hydrated if you’re outdoors. Water or Gatorade are preferred. Take frequent breaks in the shade or in A/C. Heat stroke can kill ya. Unprotected skin left to sear in the sun can lead to skin cancer, and melanoma can put you in the ground, too.
We all consider our dogs to be better survivors than we are, but too many people overestimate dogs’ hot weather limits, leading to avoidable catastrophes, and certain sadness. We often hear of babies dying when left in hot cars and wonder how parents can allow that to happen. It happens with pets, too.
My dogs look at me longingly when they see me put on my coolest straw hat and pick up my truck keys. But falling victim to their pleading looks, begging to “Go for a ride in the truck!” isn’t going to happen in hot weather. I suffer from the heat; I don’t want to subject them to it in the un-airconditioned camper shell over my pickup’s bed—even with both side windows open.
So, they get left at home, unless I’m going for a short ride during the morning before it gets hot. And these days, it gets too hot way too early.
I keep a gallon of drinking water in the truck along with a drinking bowl. Sometimes, we stay out longer than anticipated, and dogs must stay hydrated, too.
One August, I heard a veterinarian speak about caring for hunting dogs. He was passionate about the number of dogs he had treated for heat stroke. A few of them hadn’t gotten to him in time. He cautioned us to dig a small place in shaded ground large enough for our retriever to lie in, then place a towel over it … and add water. Use enough to cover the depression and the towel. That gives the dog a cool place to lie in as needed between retrieves to cool his core.
And, of course, have enough water to keep his bowl filled and to replenish his little “wallow” as it evaporates.
Despite hearing that, a friend took a young Labrador out on opening day of dove season and worked it continuously in the heat until the dog collapsed. A stock tank was nearby, so he grabbed the dog and ran to the tank and threw it in. The tank was shallow, in the sun, and wasn’t much cooler than the atmosphere. The dog died.
A friend, Dana Rocco, recently posted on a neighborhood message site cautioning about walking dogs on hot sidewalks. Dana’s rule is, if the walkway is too hot for you to walk on barefooted, it’s too hot for your best friend, too.
Enjoy the outdoors with your companion, but come home safely.
Both of you!
JJ
