Every little helps for the doggos
Despite being common sense not to leave your dog in a car when temperatures soar, many people still end up doing it. But, the RSPCA and Tesco have teamed up to tackle the issue with the UK in the midst of a heatwave.
https://twitter.com/townpoliceunit/status/1416661012183400450
Tesco staff are patrolling the car parks in search of dogs that have been left in the car by their owners. When temperatures hit above 20C, dogs only have a 50/50 chance of survival if they catch heatstroke. As you can imagine, the survival rate dramatically decreases with each rise in temperature.
The RSPCA said:
"A car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn’t feel that warm.
"When it’s 22 degrees, in a car, it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within the hour."
Signs of heatstroke within dogs are actually pretty similar to that of humans. Heavy panting and excessive drooling are the first signs of dramatic dehydration. The dog will also be lethargic, drowsy or uncoordinated, and could collapse if not attended. In extreme circumstances, the dog can vomit.
https://twitter.com/WhiteCrossVets/status/1416734340680126465
In similar news, the
Blue Cross has advised checking the temperature of the pavement before taking your dog for a walk. A dog's paws can be very sensitive, and one poor doggo had horrendously burnt paw pads after being walked on the pavement.
"Dogs can suffer fatal heatstroke within minutes. Unlike humans, dogs can’t sweat through their skin, and so they rely on panting and releasing heat through their paw pads and nose to regulate their body temperature and keep cool. Imagine wearing a thick winter coat on a hot summer’s day, and you’ll understand why dogs succumb to heatstroke so easily,"
The Blue Cross write on their website.
https://twitter.com/mertylturtle/status/1416695179633905664
The RSPCA advises people to dial 999 immediately if an animal stuck in a car is displaying symptoms
