Happy New Year!!! Did you survive the Christmas rush? Still nursing a lovely hangover from New Years eve? Personally I am enjoying a relaxing time building sand castles at Torquay beach with the kids while the dogs run around like hooligans, frolicking in the water and biting at the waves. It is such an awesome way to keep everyone cool!
It is also a good time to send out a reminder that as the weather really starts to warm up, we don’t want to see any of our beloved pets affected by the heat. Ensure your pets have a plenty of shade and multiple fresh cool water sources.
Most importantly
Please remember NOT to leave your pets in cars on a sunny day!
Tests conducted by Melbourne’s Metropolitan Ambulance Service on a 29 degree day with the car’s air conditioning having cooled the interior to a comfortable 20 degrees, showed it took just 10 minutes for the temperature to more than double to 44 degrees – in a further 10minutes it had tripled to a deadly 60.2 degrees*. As with people exposure to these types of temperatures can be extremely dangerous.
Dogs are especially prone to the effects as DOGS CANNOT SWEAT – the only way they can cool themselves is by panting. If the air around them is too hot – especially if they don’t have access to cold water, dogs are not able to regulate their body temp. So please don’t leave your pets in the car (or your children for that matter) while you pick up a few groceries, duck into the bakery or grab some booze at the bottle-o. You may get back to your car to find your beloved has died an agonising death or a very hot dog needing expensive emergency veterinary treatment
On a happier note – enjoy your holidays, keep calm and keep your pets cool!
How do you keep your pets cool on these sweltering days?
Are you travelling away with your pets? Send us a photo of your pooch on holiday and post it on our Facebook page.
If you find a pet or child in a hot car, please call the Victorian Police on 000.
*http://www.rspcavic.org/health-and-behaviour/dogs/dogs-in-hot-cars/
