Heat, Pavement, and Dogs in the Mojave

Heat stroke is an emergency

Signs: heavy frantic panting, thick drooling, bright red gums, wobbling or weakness, vomiting or diarrhoea, confusion, collapse, seizures. A dog in heat stroke can go from panting to organ damage quickly, and damage continues after they look better.

• Move them into shade or air conditioning immediately.
• Cool with room-temperature or cool water over the body, especially the belly, armpits, and groin. Not ice water, and not an ice bath.
• Offer small amounts of water if they are alert enough to drink. Do not force it.
• Drive to a veterinarian even if they seem to recover. Internal damage is common and is not visible from outside.

The pavement rule

Asphalt runs far hotter than the air. On an 87°F day it can reach roughly 143°F, hot enough to burn paw pads in about a minute. Put the back of your hand flat on the pavement and hold it there for seven seconds. If you cannot, your dog cannot walk on it. Note that shaded asphalt and dirt are both dramatically cooler, and that the surface stays hot for hours after sunset.

Who is at higher risk

• Flat-faced breeds: bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Persians. They cannot cool efficiently by panting.
• Overweight pets, seniors, puppies, and anything with heart or airway disease.
• Dark-coated dogs in direct sun.
• Any pet newly arrived from a cooler climate that has not acclimated.

Practical summer habits

• Walk before sunrise or well after sunset, and check the ground with your hand first.
• Water in shade, refilled through the day. Bowls in the sun get hot enough to be undrinkable.
• Never leave a pet in a parked car. A car interior can climb 20°F in ten minutes with the windows cracked, and out here it starts at 105°F.
• Watch for the second hot spell in late September. People relax and the pavement does not.