Most dog owners in Las Vegas and in other hot climates understand the risks of leaving their dogs in a hot car for any period of time. Every year we hear stories of dogs dying due to being left in a car “with the windows cracked,” and how the owner didn’t realize how hot it gets inside the car when it is sitting in the sun. A dog can overheat and go into heat stroke within minutes of being confined in that type of situation, as their panting does not provide adequate cooling to their internal organs. While this is the most obvious example of how a lack of understanding of heat and the impacts it has on dogs can result in tragedy, many people are unaware that every year more than 10 times as many dogs suffer heat stroke on walks than in cars.
In Las Vegas, the heat in the summer is extreme. The pavement, artificial grass, cement and other surfaces radiate the heat of the sunshine back upwards, creating extremely high temperatures on the surfaces and a few feet above them. It is considered a general rule that it is risky to walk your dog in temperatures over 77 degrees, which produces a temperature of 120 degrees on pavement. This is the point where paws will actually begin to blister and burn, causing pain and discomfort to your dog, if not permanent damage. Many people will rely on placing their hands on the pavement to judge if it is cool enough for dog paws, and will rely on booties if it seems too hot. What you must remember is that their bodies are exercising in a horizontal placement only a few feet from these hot surfaces, and even in cases where precautions are taken against burned paws we are causing their internal organs to heat up because of their position close to the ground. The increase of only a few degrees from 102 to 105 can bring on heat stroke resulting in death. Walking your dog in conditions over 90 degrees puts them at extreme risk for overheating, and potentially a critical medical situation. The best rule to follow is not to walk your dog in the sunlight if it is over 77 degrees outside, and not to walk your dog at all outside if it is over 85 degrees.
Avoiding situations of heat stroke takes awareness on the owner’s part, and an understanding that dogs do not sweat to cool themselves like humans do. In order to avoid tragedies, we must think about the potential risky situations and avoid them.
