traveling with a dog in the heat

[Marsha Cassada]

Today I had to take my grandchildren home. It was an all day trek, so I took my little dog, Buddy. When we all went for lunch, I left him in the pickup. There was no shade in the parking lot, but I parked so his side would be shaded by the cab and left both front windows all the way down. I left him water with ice in it. We were only in the restaurant about 30 minutes. I went out to check on him half way through. He was hot and panting, but didn't seem unduly so.

I hated to leave him at home, as he is such a good traveling companion. But what is the best way to handle a 30 minute car wait in mid-summer? We are 100+ these days.

 

[Minimor]

For me if I had to take a dog along on a hot day, a lunch break would consist of take-out from a fast food chain, then I'd find a shady place to park so that the dog could be outside in the shade while I ate lunch. Even a 30 minute wait in a vehicle in this heat is unacceptable IMO. Here in town people have been left nasty messages or had their windows broken so that someone could remove the dog from their vehicle even if they've run into the store for 10 minutes or less. I would be reluctant to leave windows open as someone may well steal the dog.

 

[AnnaC]

They do say that just 10 minutes in a metal vehicle in heat, even with the windows down (but no reasonably strong breeze) can cause a dog to start 'cooking' from the inside - like a microwave oven! Here in the UK folk can get prosecuted for leaving dogs in cars in 70 degree heat and windows get broken to release the dog. A heavily panting dog is a dog already suffering problems.

Also, a word of warning - cold (let alone icy) water should never be offered to a hot animal - cant remember why now, think it is because it causes the major organs to shut down. Someone I know had her dog get pretty hot while walking it, they came to a shallow, fast moving stream and the dog went in to cool off. It drunk some of the very cold water and two minutes later it collapsed. They rushed it to a vet but were unable to save it. Vet told her never to let dogs drink cold water when they were hot - water must be warmed slightly in some way!

Anna

 

[uwharrie]

Since I show dogs we frequently travel when its hot. We use reflective tarps ( space blankets) to cover the van (big magnets hold them on) battery operated fans and even then it is sometimes just too hot to leave them in the car. If you are only going to be parked 20 min or so you can leave the car running with ac and locked, just be sure to check on it freqently. But this time of year with the heat if I dont have to have them I leave the dogs at home

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Good information, thanks everyone! I haven't had a dog to travel with before.

I might look into the reflective tarp, just to have on hand.

 

[Sonya]

I just leave the car run with the a/c on if I have to leave my dog in the car in the summer for a period of a time....if it's over a 1/2 hour, then I just don't take the dog or I don't go. I lock it and take a spare key with me.

 

[dixie_belle]

I have a small long haired chihuahua who has travelled all over the country with us, sometimes in the car, sometimes on a plane. Never in all our travels have I ever left her in an unattented car while we went inside and ate. This is a recipe for disaster and in some states, illegal. It takes only minutes for a car to heat up to an unacceptable temperature. I use the theory that what is not acceptable for me is not acceptable for my dog. When we stop while on the road with her it is always fast food and we find a tree somewhere, spread out our blanket and eat together. She has a small water bowl in the car and a bottle of water, also. She is my child and I would never leave a child in a car, alone for 30 minutes. You are lucky no one reported you to the police, I know I certainly would have!

 

[Mona]

I try to always take the dogs with me when we go places, and what I do, is leave the car running for them. I roll all windows up tight, leave the air conditioner (or heater in the winter) on for them and lock the car doors and use my extra set of keys/remote to get back in.

 

[shorthorsemom]

When it is very hot I leave the dogs home ... On average days I use space blankets all over the car, even tied on the roof and they really keep the heat down. I also use battery fans for the dogs. They even have one kind of battery fan that you can freeze an ice pack insert and then put it in the fan and it blows cooler air on the dogs. I do all this when I am within site of the car such as parking at a dog show near the rings and I am using the car for shade. I don't leave the dogs alone in the car and then walk away, too much can happen in a short amount of time.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080722/NEWS/807220401?p=1&tc=pg

Attached is one of many stories about Police K-9 dogs being left in hot cars... I was looking for this one about the air conditioning going out and the dog dying as a result and found so many additional tragic stories about hot cars and dogs I had to stop reading.

 

[disneyhorse]

It is illegal here in CA to leave a dog in a car unattended when it's hot out. My mom has actually called the police twice this week on people who have done so.

Our dogs stay at home if they can't be taken in with us to our destination.

Andrea

 

[HGFarm]

The police get called here if anyone finds an animal in a parked car during this weather- so many have died. Even with the windows down, it is just too hot and in a car, it is even hotter. I absolutely do NOT take the dogs, or any other animals anywhere in the heat of the summer if I have to stop and get out for anything other than to gas up. It is just too dangerous on them. We have had dead children here this summer- one went outside when his mother didnt see, crawled up into the car and was out there about 30 minutes. They found him already dead from the heat. This was only one example.

Also, it seems that animals will overheat quicker than they can drink enough water to stay cool... it quenches thirst but I dont know if it does much for core body heat going up to quickly.

My friend here did an experiment one summer. She put a thermometer in her horse trailer, which is white and not fully enclosed up. She wanted to see what her horses might be traveling in if she decided to go anywhere. We still dont know how hot it got in there because it broke the thermometer!!!!!!! And this was without the body heat of livestock in there! So during the summer, we just dont do much here, LOL

 

[Aristocratic Minis]

A friend of mine in Dallas wanted to see how hot it got in the car. Her engineer husband put some kind of scientific thermometer in the car. In less than 10 minutes, the temperature was 186 degrees.

We have traveled with show dogs for many years. It is difficult in this weather.

For bathroom breaks (human), one of us goes in while the other stays in the car with the A/C on full blast. For meal breaks, we do the drive thru thing and don't leave the car.

We have a Tahoe with A/C in the rear. There are also "crate fans" that run on batteries. You can also buy battery operated fans which can be plugged into the car charger outlet.

Cool beds and other cooling blankets and ice packs and ice bandanas for dogs can also be found in many dog supply catalogs.

Be careful on potty breaks for your dogs. We carry our dogs to the grass because the pavement can literally burn their pads when the blazing sun has been shining on the pavement all day.

In weather this hot, I would not leave my dog in the car even in the shade with the windows down. It is just too hot for man or beast.

 

[Miniv]

This time of year we just don't take our dogs with us. We have a small enclosed shaded back yard, so we can leave them home with the kitchen door open and they can come and go.

Years ago we were living in a different situation and had to take our dogs with us for a long day trip. And as others posted, we left the locked car running with the A/C going. And of course we had an extra key. We also carried a dish and a jug of water.

 

[Katiean]

For me if I had to take a dog along on a hot day, a lunch break would consist of take-out from a fast food chain, then I'd find a shady place to park so that the dog could be outside in the shade while I ate lunch. Even a 30 minute wait in a vehicle in this heat is unacceptable IMO. Here in town people have been left nasty messages or had their windows broken so that someone could remove the dog from their vehicle even if they've run into the store for 10 minutes or less. I would be reluctant to leave windows open as someone may well steal the dog.

Same here. Take out! I do not leave my dog in the car for any reason. If you leave a dog in a parked car in Northern Nevada in the heat, the police are called. You either get a ticket or go to jail. It all depends on the officers mood. I have seen it done more than once.

 

[Sue_C.]

She put a thermometer in her horse trailer, which is white and not fully enclosed up. She wanted to see what her horses might be traveling in if she decided to go anywhere. We still dont know how hot it got in there because it broke the thermometer!!!!!!!

Was that with the trailer just sitting there, or on the move with windows and vents opened?

 

[Marty]

This is a no-brainer. Amy goes most places with me providing I don't have any stops to make that would make her have to stay in the truck unattended. I would never do that to her ever, heat or no heat. If we stop for lunch, its fast food from the drive-thru for both of us. You are very lucky someone did not reach out and steal your dog or that she jumped out of the window. If you know this is going to happen again, leave the dog at home to ensure her safety. No worries then.