With the recent warm weather and several calls already received by the BC SPCA about animals in hot cars, the animal welfare society is again, reminding people to leave their pets at home if they can’t keep them safe.
“People don’t realize just how quickly their cars can become death traps for their pets – it can take as little as 10 minutes for the vehicle to reach temperatures where the animal can suffer irreparable brain damage or death,” says Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA.
If you see a dog in distress in a vehicle:
• Note the license plate and vehicle information and ask managers of nearby businesses to page the owner to return to their vehicle immediately;
• Call to report the hot dog in car situation if no owner is found or when animal is suffering symptoms of heat stroke: BC SPCA provincial call centre at 1-855-622-7722. In an emergency, call 911 for police attendance. (Note: It is illegal for members of the public to break a window to access the vehicle.)
• Keep emergency supplies — bottled water, a small bowl, a towel that can be soaked in water — in your car so that you help hydrate an animal (if a window has been left open) while you wait for emergency response; a battery-powered fan from a dollar store also can be handy to circulate air.
In just minutes, the temperature in a parked car can climb to well over 38 C. Dogs have no sweat glands, so they can only cool themselves by panting and by releasing heat through their paws, which they cannot do in a vehicle that has become an oven. Dogs can withstand high temperatures for only a very short time — in some cases just minutes — before suffering irreparable brain damage or death.
Pet guardians should be alert to heatstroke symptoms, which include: exaggerated panting (or the sudden stopping of panting), rapid or erratic pulse, salivation, anxious or staring expression, weakness and muscle tremors, lack of coordination, convulsions or vomiting, and collapse.
If your dog shows symptoms of heatstroke, you should do the following:
• Immediately move the animal to a cool, shady place. Wet the dog with cool water.
• Fan vigorously to promote evaporation. This will cool the blood, which reduces the animal’s core temperature.
• Do not apply ice. This constricts blood flow, which will inhibit cooling.
• Allow the dog to drink some cool water (or to lick ice cream if no water is available).
• Take the dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible for further treatment.
– source: BC SPCA
