This
summer we are launching a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers
of leaving dogs in parked cars on warm days. If you find the information
below informative and even shocking, you can help us spread the
word by telling other dog owners how lethal parked cars can be to
dogs left inside them. You can also help us spread the word by printing
off one of our posters or flyers, which are of course free to download.
See the end of this article for more information.
Countless
dogs die every year after their owners leave them in parked
cars for long or short periods of time, thinking their dog
is safe but not realising the dangers animals face in this
situation. Leaving your dog in a parked car even for a short
period of time can prove fatal.
The temperature inside the car might not seem excessive
when you first stop but the temperature inside a stationary
car can rapidly increase to double the outside temperature.
This can happen very quickly, within six to ten minutes.
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The inside of a parked car will soon become far hotter than the
outside temperature simply because a car traps the heat from the
sun just like a greenhouse. This is why warm temperatures outside
can quickly become deadly temperatures inside a stationary car.
Even on comparatively cool days a car's internal temperature can
rocket and keeping the windows open a crack hardly slows the rise
at all.
Add to this the fact that your dog has on a fur coat that is designed
to trap heat, and you can really begin to see why leaving dogs in
parked cars can be so fatal. Also, they cannot sweat to cool down
and have to rely on panting to regulate their body temperature.
The advice can only be this - never leave your dog in a parked car
on a warm day, even for a few minutes. Leaving the window open a
few inches, parking in the shade, or even leaving the dog a bowl
of water is NOT adequate. A dog left in a car on a hot or even warm
day can suffer heat stress and ultimately fatal heat stroke within
just 10 minutes.
If you come across a dog that has been left in a car on a warm day,
call the Police on 999 for assistance. They will be able to take
appropriate action, if necessary breaking into the car to release
the dog. If the Police are unable to attend, call the RSPCA on 0870
55 55 999. It is also worth noting that owners who put an animal
at risk by leaving it inside a locked car could face prosecution.
Help us in our campaign
If you have found the information in this article informative and
even shocking, you can help us spread the word by telling other
dog owners how lethal parked cars can be to dogs left inside them.
You can also help us spread the word by printing off one of our
posters or flyers, which are of course free to download.
Using these posters we hope to target places where dogs are often
left in cars, such as the supermarket car park, outside other shops
and stores, petrol stations, and even work places. These posters
and flyers would also be perfect for putting on notice boards in
shops, veterinary practices, dog clubs, pet shops, at the work place
and any other places you think dog owners might look. Even popping
one in the window of your car could reach a good audience and might
save a dog’s life.
Medical Information
Dehydration
One sign of dehydration is loss of skin elasticity. If you think
your dog might be dehydrated, do this simple check. When the skin
along the back is picked up into a fold, it should spring back into
place. In dehydration, the skin stays up in a ridge. Another sign
is dryness of the mouth. Late signs of dehydration are sunken eyes
and circulatory collapse.
If your dog is dehydrated or very thirsty, do not let them gulp
down excessive amounts of water at once as they are likely to bring
it back up. Give your dog an electrolyte mixed in water, which will
be more effective than plain water at replenishing the body. To
hydrate slowly, give your dog ice to lick rather than letting them
take large gulps of water.
Heatstroke
Heatstroke can kill an animal very quickly. The signs of heatstroke
are:
1)
At first the dog will pant more than usual, become agitated and
may sound uncomfortable or distressed.
2) Panting will become excessive and difficult and drooling may
also start.
3) The dog will struggle to breathe and may appear glassy eyed and
have dark red gums.
4) Body temperature has risen to a point where cell death in the
brain results in seizures, coma and ultimately death. In these later
stages, even with intensive veterinary care, your pet will probably
die.
To
help a dog with heatstroke, you need to cool the dog down. Put the
dog in the coolest place you can find. Gently apply cool (not freezing
cold) wet towels or water to the head, neck and chest. This will
lower the dog’s temperature gradually without causing shock
to the system. When the dog seems stable, take it straight to a
veterinary surgery for professional medical care. |
