Dogs & Heat Postcard

Moses looks cute, but this is serious. I live near a major park with miles of running trails, and every summer, many clueless people cause their dogs to have a heatstroke. IF they live, they can have irreparable organ damage. It's a topic worth searching if you never have. Their normal body temperature is much higher than ours, between about 101.5 F and 102.2 F. They're wearing a fur coat & can't sweat. They will run themselves to death to please a human. Often, by the time the owner "gets a clue" it's too late. If a dog balks at running, especially distance on a jogging trail in the heat, maybe it's because he's smarter than the human. Don't take any chances, especially with big dogs. If you have a little dog, you could wet him down and carry him home, but with a big dog you can't carry him and it's an emergency situation. Before Myrtie I had a female Lab, Maggie, who could run as far as I would let her in cool weather, but when warm we stayed in the neighbourhood and walked. The dividing line was about 75, depending on humidity, and got lower as she got older. The text in both balloons can be customized.