The last Father’s Day that I can remember temperatures in the upper 90’s in the Chicago area was in 1988, the first of the greenhouse summers—the summer when Yellowstone burned. That was the first year that people talked about global warming. I hope this summer isn’t like that.
My grandfather died that day, on Father’s Day. No one had called him. He died alone with his house shut tight in the sweltering heat. My parents found him the next day. He was almost 88.
It’s not like we had abandoned him, but on that day, we had. I called him the day before to ask if he wanted me to drive him to my parent’s house for Father’s Day. He declined. My mom had also called him the day before. My sister and I, along with my mom, realized that all of us had failed to call him on that special day—but then it was too late.
A police officer declared it a heart attack. But maybe it really was the heat. We didn’t request an autopsy.
People and pets die from heat.
So what’s with the title? Bugs or Sun?
I asked Buffy, my nine-year-old cocker spaniel that question when I walked her in the sweltering heat this Father’s Day. I chose bugs, walking her around the shady side of the tennis court, where trees and a fence blocked the sun. But the plant growth thrived with mosquitos.
At least in the Chicago area, few people die from mosquito bites, although you could get West Nile Virus, but it isn’t very common to die from it—at least not here.
Signs of an overheated pet
- Heavy panting—my sister saw this last year at her home in California with her 15-year-old cocker spaniel. Her dog just wouldn’t settle and panted an extreme amount.
- Dogs are not efficient at cooling themselves. They don’t sweat, unlike horses and people. The lose heat from their pads and through their mouths from panting.
- Increased salivation or drooling.
- Excessive thirst
- Confusion—or staggering. This state is more serious. The dog will still be panting heavily.
- Decades ago, my dog was left in the car while I paddled on a river trip. The day was cool, cloudy, and drizzling. An hour later, the temperature soared twenty degrees when the sun emerged. Penny survived—but another ten minutes and she likely would have passed out and possibly died.
- Unconsciousness—this is a late stage of overheating and may lead to a coma.
- Bright or dark red tongue and gums
- Dry gums
- Erratic or rapid pulse
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Glazed eyes
Normal body temperature for a dog ranges from 101 to 102.5°F. If a dog’s temperature reaches 109°, heat stroke occurs and may cause irreparable damage. The brain swells, the kidneys become damaged and ulcers can develop in the intestines.
Invest in a dog rectal thermometer. If her temperature is below 104°, cool your dog and watch her carefully. If your dog’s temperature is higher, contact your vet immediately.
Brachycephalic breeds (dogs with flat faces and short noses) are at higher risk for overheating since they do not breathe as efficiently. Senior dogs, puppies, and those with health issues are also more susceptible.
How to cool an overheated dog
- General tips wherever you are:
My Cassie loved her pool! - Get your dog out of the sun
- Use cool (not cold) water to cool the dog’s body
- If water is not available, use wet towels to cool his neck, armpits, and groin area.
- Provide drinking water
- Give the dog ice cubes—but not too many
- If you are at home :
- Get the dog indoors where there is air conditioning
- Have the dog lay on a cool floor with a fan blowing on her
- If you are outdoors:
- Get the dog in the shade or an air-conditioned building or car
- Have the dog rest
What to do if you see a dog in a hot car
- Is the dog panting heavily and suffering? The owner may have left the dog for only a minute. Stay nearby and watch if the owner returns.
- Contact a store employee to find the owner.
- If the owner cannot be located, and the pet is suffering, contact the police or animal control. Sometimes minutes can save the pet’s life.
How to prevent overheating
- Leave your dog at home on hot days
Chipper laying on a cool bed in front of a fan - Don’t leave your dog in the car—especially not in the hot sun with the windows open only a crack. Park the car in the shade, provide water, and use methods to keep your dog cool.
- Get your dog wet by swimming in a lake or with a hose
- Use a cool bed—these work well if your dog will lay on it. But it doesn’t work once the bed warms. Cooling vests can also help for a short time.
- Give your dog a short summer hair cut
- Don’t walk or exercise your dog in the heat of the day or on hot pavement
- Provide plenty of fresh, clean drinking water
- Provide ice cubes, but not a lot
Remember a car in 85°F temperature can warm to over a hundred degrees in only ten minutes. So leave your dog at home.
Let’s all stay cool and safe this summer!
For more information:
http://www.dogingtonpost.com/how-to-treat-and-possibly-save-overheated-dog/
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/06/24/overheating.aspx
I have to be very careful with Kilo the Pug as they can overheat so easily- even a walk in hot sun can get scary. Great tips thanks -I know you mention cool water not cold, also important to tell people not to throw their dog in cold water if already overheated which I didn’t realize but makes sense as constricts blood vessels (my vet warned me). They can go into shock and die.
Oh, I am so very sorry for your grandfather’s passing. Heat is a scary thing. My Mom, who passed away (not from heat exhaustion) in 2015 had several strokes years ago, including a heat stroke, so we always had to be careful with her on hot days. With Siberian Huskies, I am ever vigilant with keeping them cool – either they are out in the early/late hours on the deck with an overhead roof for shade, a fan, and their own pool–or they are inside snoozing in the a/c. I never take them out in the car during the warm-hot weather. They stay home in the a/c! This is such an important post…but to answer your question, even though we have been warned this is going to be another bad season for ticks – and mosquitoes and flies can be horrid here…I’d have to opt for keeping my dogs out of the sun *if I had to choose one.* I really do try to keep the out of the sun *and* away or protected from bugs.
I’m so sorry you have that memory of Father’s day. No doubt your grandfather knew how much you all cared for him, calling and inviting/offering to pick him up to celebrate.
Thank you for these reminders about dogs and heat. Pinning. We don’t take our guys out until the evening. I would like to get a pool for Jack for the back yard. Henry and Reese have zero interest.
Btw, my dad was the first case of the West Nile virus, in Ontario.
Fantastic post just in time for summer! It’s so sad when pet owners neglect to take summer heat and hot cars seriously. Great tips to keep pets safe. Sharing too!
This is so important to know in the summer time! The heats are unbearable in my country in Europe sometimes and it’s so important to protect ourselves from the heat. This year the summer temperatured started 1 month earlier… The climate change is getting more noticable year after year.
I choose neither. I hate the heat (it makes me sick) and I loathe bugs! Honestly, the need to walk dogs and do the outside thing is one reason I choose to live vicariously through other people who have dogs. I’ll stick inside with my feline friends.
This is really important information. I can’t tell you many times we had people leave their dogs in the car when they came in shopping. And we’re a pet friendly place.
It is really hard traveling with pets. I just did an 8 hour drive with a black long haired cat on a 90 degree day. My car has AC, but stopping for potty breaks and lunch was an issue. I had someone with me so we just took turns but I know several of my fellow exhibitors were out there on the road traveling alone.
That is a very good question. Up here, it’s not really the choice we have. We have a choice of hotter or cooler and different types of bugs. In the shade and cooler mornings and evenings, there are black flies and mosquitoes. During the day it’s deerflies and horse flies. Not much of a choice.
As for Cookie, she detests the black flies the most.
When it’s hot we go out more often for shorter periods of time. Frog hunting being Cookie’s very favorite activity, at least it keeps her in water, hence a bit cooler.
I choose neither! We have already had too many hot days here in NJ — and signs of overheating in my girl even in short walks. Then there was her lymes diganosis…..seems safer to stay inside. Great article though with important tips!
Sandy, I am sorry about your Grandfather 🙁
Thanks for this fantastic post about the heat as I cannot stop stressing to people how important it is especially the sidewalks – I have water for Layla all the time on me and if I think it might be too hot I take the backpack also
I am so very sorry about your grandfather! I can’t imagine how heartbreaking that must have been for you and your family. You are absolutely right about the risks of the heat for both humans and pets. We live in Arizona where the heat is a factor 12 months out of the year practically. Unfortunately, for Junior and Sulley, this means we opt for other forms of exercise than walks on most days.
It is beyond me that folks still leave their pets in the car unattended. Even if you think you will only be a minute, you never know what might delay you. These are all excellent tips for cooling off an overheated dog.