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Mad Dogs And Englishmen Go Out In The Vegas Sun! |
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Written by Claire Davies
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 Its understandable that people here should be preoccupied with the weather at this time of year. We have, after all, been 146 days without rain and temperatures routinely reach 110 degrees. Monday's high was 117 degrees, but to be honest anything over 105 is just damn hot! Its basically very sunny and very hot (so how they manage to make the weather report last any longer than thirty seconds is beyond me, but they do). We do live in the middle of a desert, which when you think about it is a habitat that many (some might suggest more sensible) life forms consider uninhabitable. Right now the temperature doesn't even drop much at night. The hottest part of the day is around four or five in the afternoon after the heat has really built up in the valley. The coolest is around five in the morning when the thermometers dip to all of 85.
Imagine how this impacts on the lives of the average pet dog. I just about manage a quick trot around the block before breakfast with Alfie the bouncing beardie bomb. I don't know about him, but I can't manage much more than that. Leave it too late and the pavement is too ouchy hot for paws. Anyone who has dared to venture out to the pool without footwear can vouch for this. Add the fact that the blacktop actually gets a little melty. The only option is to entertain the fuzzy fiends indoors in the air conditioning with plenty of fetch and tug in an attempt to wear off some off that energy.
Dogs can learn to tolerate the climate to a surprising degree, with a little consideration, and a watchful eye on them. Protective boots are available to stop Fido burning his paws on hot days. These are also useful for protection against cactus spikes and grass seeds entering the foot, or bites from disturbed beasties. Other available pieces of kit include: doggy sunblock for pink patches on noses, and to stop the sun stripping coat colours; reflective coats to help repel some of the heat and UV; and cooling bandannas, which contain some kind of polysomething which although dry to the touch stays cool for hours. Of course you must always carry plenty of water for both you and your dog, even if it's a short trip.
Most people know not to leave the dog in the car but it still happens. The temperature in a car can reach close to 140 degrees in around ten to fifteen minutes. There have even been cases of children dying because they were left in a vehicle. Cracking a window achieves nothing. Leaving the engine on with the air conditioning running is too risky. Imagine the engine stalls. It's not worth it. It's a horrible way to die.
It's amazing how many people keep their dog in the yard all day, not always with access to shade. Bowls of water that stand out any length of time soon become too hot to drink, let alone afford refreshment. Other owners mistakenly believe that shaving the dog's coats off helps them keep cool. The coat is designed to offer protection from all the elements, sun included.
It's as well to know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke in dogs. Dogs cannot sweat to cool themselves off like we can. Their main cooling system is panting and this is highly inefficient. This means that a dog can overheat much more quickly than we would. Look for signs of excessive panting, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. If this happens you must cool the dog off as quickly as you can using lukewarm water and contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Mostly though, we tend to regard these couple of months of extreme weather as a little like winter - stay indoors and venture out as little as possible. It's just a shame the TV is so bad, and you know, it has to be the first time I'll have ever said 'Roll on winter'!
Claire Davies MA
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