[split] Dog Overheating

[Richard]

Lake Havasu City is where my dog almost died from overheating. I was traveling through in a car with unreliable air-conditioning in the middle of July about 4-years ago. I was headed to the California coast in hopes of escaping summer heat. A/c quit, my dog got lethargic and just laid on the seat panting like I'd never seen before. There was no relief to be had at any speed with the windows down and I dared not stop anywhere even for a brief trip into a store for ice. It was easily the most nerve-wracking trip of my life. Thankfully, she made it and remains with me to this day. Had she died, it would've been a most painful lesson in how not to cross the desert in July.

Heavy story, I know. Equally heavy memory that I carry around, and one that has me feeling terribly conflicted about the November build-out party: I need to attend, but I get trembly at the thought of the tragedy I almost visited upon my beloved animal companion. And yes, I realize it would have been entirely my fault had the worst come to pass. I was so eager to get to cooler weather that I failed to consider the risks along the way.

I hope to attend the party and that's the most I can say right now. If sharing my stupidity contributes any food for thought to the benefit of other pets then I'll gladly eat crow in this public forum to that end.

 

[akrvbob]

When a dog overheats, the critical step is to pour water all over their belly, that acts as their radiator. Water will get all over the seat but that's good, they will lay in it and that will continue to cool them off.

Havasu almost always cools off massively by November. Just check the forecast before you go and I'm sure it will be fine.
Bob

 

[pamerica]

I thought to add this to Bob's great post. This happened to me and my little dog. I understand this thread is about Lake Havasu City, but doggies' safety has been mentioned and I want to add this here, thank you.  In Delaware in the summer, in my black Ford F150, just in case that makes a difference.

 I put the windows down and went into a store for no more than 15 minutes. When I got back, my dog was laying on the floor, stiff as a board. There was a garage across the street. I ran my dog in there and asked, "Where is your sink?"  The guy hesitated and I demanded to know where the sink was. He pointed to the sink. I poured water over my dog until he came back to life. Please, even a couple minutes can kill your dog. Don't do it. If it's hot for you, it can kill your dog in a couple minutes. Even with the windows all the way open.