A Reminder about the Risk of Heat Exhaustion
I last posted about heat exhaustion in the summer of 2005. I took the advice of a retriever trainer about distinguishing between a dog's refusal of a command or quitting on a hot day and heat stroke, and extrapolated advice for the common pet owner:
If your dog ordinarily comes enthusiastically on command, but on a hot summer day stands or lies down where s/he is and stares at you, don't get mad, get your dog out of the sun and get water.
Somerville dog blogger MuttStuff recently posted about heatstroke. Sadly at least one dog has died this summer because of heat exposure. Melissa C. McCue, Certified Pet Dog Trainer [CPDT] compiles a lot of important information about heat stroke: signs of; what to do if your dog is a victim of, and how to prevent.
Remember that your parked car—even with the windows cracked—is not a safe place for your pet in the summer. If you see an unattended animal (or a child for that matter) in a car, please notify the authorities: the Somerville police (911), Somerville Animal Control (311), even a local business owner.