We at ideas-4-pets were upset and horrified to hear of the two German Shepherd dogs that died from suffocation after being left in a police van in soaring temperatures.

Although we are sure that the Policeman involved did not cause their deaths deliberately and was probably distraught at what had happened, there can be no excuse for leaving a dog in a car in this hot weather.

Did you know that a pet left in a car in hot weather can succumb to heatstroke and suffocate within minutes. Even on a warm day, the inside of a parked car can get very hot, and when the temperature outside reaches 25 degrees celsius, the temperature inside a car that’s parked in the shade can exceed 33 degrees.  If the car is parked in direct sunlight, it can reach a scorching 71 degrees !!

Even when the temperature outside is 16 – 20 degrees celsius, the inside of some cars can reach the danger zone on bright, sunny days. A lot of experts recommend that you should not to leave pets or children in parked cars even for short periods of time if the temperature 16 degrees celsius or higher.

Parking your car in the shade or winding the windows down can’t guarantee protection either as temperatures can still climb into the danger zone causing your dog great distress and don’t forget that if the car window is wound down a lot,  your pet could jump out and escape. 

Animals don’t sweat in the same way that humans do.  Dogs keep themselves cool by panting and by sweating through their paws. If the air they are breathing is hot, then they will collapse, suffer brain damage and possibly die of heatstroke.  Just 15 minutes can be enough for an animal’s body temperature to rise from a normal body temperature to deadly levels that will damage his nervous and cardiovascular systems, often leaving the animal comatose, dehydrated and at risk of permanent impairment or death.

Most of us love our dogs dearly and would not want any harm to come to them, so please be careful and give your dog the care he so deserves.

The lessons to be learned here are:

1. Leave your dog at home on warm days.  He’ll be happier keeping cool in the house than overheating in the footwell of the car.

2. If you really have to take him somewhere, then take plenty of fresh, cool drinking water and a bowl with you.

3. If your dog starts to show any signs of heat exhaustion whilst he is in the garden like restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, glazed eyes, lethargy, rapid pulse, dizziness or lack of co-ordination, then take him immediately into the shade, an air conditioned or a cool area of the house. To lower his body temperature gradually,  give him some cool water to drink, place a cold towel or ice pack on his head, neck and chest, and/or immerse him in cool (not cold) water if you can and telephone your vet.

4.  If you see a pet that has been left in a car on a hot day then take immediate action by taking a note of the make of car, model, colour and registration number and then telephone the police to report it.

Our pets rely solely on us for their care and protection and we owe it to them to keep them safe in the hot weather.