Do you know what to do if your dog gets overheated? It’s a really good thing for Ben that I knew exactly what to do when he came back from a long chase after a jackrabbit. It was only 7:30 but the temperature was already in the mid 90’s. I thought we would be OK going into the desert for ten minutes, after all, I have an expanse of desert about 100 yards from my house, and both Rosie and Ben really love to go out there are chase bunnies and lizards. We circled around and I was getting Rosie on her leash to return home when I realized Ben was nowhere to be seen.
I gave two short toots on my whistle…the signal to return right away. Nothing. I called and whistled again…and again…and again. Unlike Rosie, who’s white, Ben is black and I can’t see him until he’s out from behind trees and bushes.
I heard him before I could see him…he was breathing SO heavily that I thought his chest would explode. I have to admit that I was scared, but I immediately poured some water over him as we started back to the house. Those two minutes seemed like hours. I took him into the back yard where I began hosing him down all over his body. I had him stand on some ice packs too…anything to cool his internal body temperature. I did this for about ten minutes and I noticed his breathing beginning to slow little by little. Once I felt he was out of danger, I took him inside to lie on the cool concrete floors.
If I hadn't known what to do I would have written a much different story...probably one AFTER we returned from the vet!
To learn more about dogs and summer heat:
http://www.examiner.com/pet-welfare-in-phoenix/keep-your-animals-safe-and-alive-this-summer
http://www.examiner.com/pet-welfare-in-phoenix/are-you-hot-this-summer
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