Summer is fantastic! And so is the heat! Unfortunately, the heat also means that dogs are left in hot cars every year. And that can be fatal for the dog!
Every year, several dogs die in hot cars or have to be euthanized due to internal bleeding after heatstroke in the car.
The temperatures in a car quickly become sauna-like. You wouldn't leave your dog in a sauna with the door closed, would you?
The clear answer to that question is of course no, but leaving a dog in the car on a sunny day can be just as dangerous.
The temperature in the car
When the temperature outside is 20-25 degrees, the temperature inside a parked car rises very quickly. In 20-50 minutes, the temperature inside the car can reach 50-70 degrees - a temperature that is fatal to dogs.
“Every year, veterinarians experience having to treat dogs that have been left alone in a hot car. In many cases, the dog cannot be saved due to fatal internal bleeding, and veterinarians have to deliver the sad news to the shocked dog owners. We cannot emphasize enough that even a short time in a car on a summer day can end badly for the dog,” says Sonja Karaoglan, Director of Agria Dyreforsikring.
A painful death
It is a painful death that awaits dogs left alone in the car when their owners, for example, are out shopping.
A dog that gets hot cannot sweat in the same way as humans. Dogs get rid of heat through their breathing. When the dog exhales forcefully, it loses a lot of fluid, and after a few minutes its body temperature begins to rise from the normal 38 degrees. The dog panics, becomes unconscious and dies if no action is taken quickly.
If the body temperature is too high, the dog can suffer serious brain damage and internal bleeding in the intestines, liver and kidneys. In many cases, the animal cannot be saved.
How you can help
- Get the dog out of the hot car quickly - it is still possible to help it.
- If you see a dog sitting in a hot car, you should contact the dog owner.
- If the dog is clearly gasping for breath, call 114 or 112 if the dog is in danger of death (minutes can be crucial for life or death)
- The dog should be taken out of the car as soon as possible and cooled down with water.
- After that, it needs to go to the vet for IV drips and further treatment.
If you believe that the dog is in danger of dying, it is permissible to break the window, according to the police. However, you must be able to prove that the dog was actually in a life-threatening situation.
Rules to remember in the summer heat
- Having the window cracked won't help, the temperature will still rise.
- The sun moves, so it is not always enough to park the car in the shade.
- Shopping always takes longer than you expect, so leave your dog at home if the alternative is for him to sit alone in the car.
- If you are sure you will only be gone for a few minutes, park in the shade, roll down several windows to allow for drafts, and place a note in the windshield with your mobile number and write: “Be right back” and the time.
- Place a full water bowl near the dog.
- If necessary, cover the car with a sunshade (you can buy one that covers the entire car)
Never leave your dog in a hot car
Summer is fantastic! And so is the heat! Unfortunately, the heat also means that dogs are left in hot cars every year. And that can be fatal for the dog!
Every year, several dogs die in hot cars or have to be euthanized due to internal bleeding after heatstroke in the car.
The temperatures in a car quickly become sauna-like. You wouldn't leave your dog in a sauna with the door closed, would you?
The clear answer to that question is of course no, but leaving a dog in the car on a sunny day can be just as dangerous.
The temperature in the car
When the temperature outside is 20-25 degrees, the temperature inside a parked car rises very quickly. In 20-50 minutes, the temperature inside the car can reach 50-70 degrees - a temperature that is fatal to dogs.
“Every year, veterinarians experience having to treat dogs that have been left alone in a hot car. In many cases, the dog cannot be saved due to fatal internal bleeding, and veterinarians have to deliver the sad news to the shocked dog owners. We cannot emphasize enough that even a short time in a car on a summer day can end badly for the dog,” says Sonja Karaoglan, Director of Agria Dyreforsikring.
A painful death
It is a painful death that awaits dogs left alone in the car when their owners, for example, are out shopping.
A dog that gets hot cannot sweat in the same way as humans. Dogs get rid of heat through their breathing. When the dog exhales forcefully, it loses a lot of fluid, and after a few minutes its body temperature begins to rise from the normal 38 degrees. The dog panics, becomes unconscious and dies if no action is taken quickly.
If the body temperature is too high, the dog can suffer serious brain damage and internal bleeding in the intestines, liver and kidneys. In many cases, the animal cannot be saved.
How you can help
If you believe that the dog is in danger of dying, it is permissible to break the window, according to the police. However, you must be able to prove that the dog was actually in a life-threatening situation.
Rules to remember in the summer heat