Every year, dogs overheat and die after being left in hot cars during the heat of the summer. As we’ve been experiencing some of the hottest temperatures of the years in the Treasure Valley this month, ranging up to as high as 109 degrees, it’s a good time to talk about why it’s so dangerous to leave your dog in a car. It’s not a fun idea to consider and can be upsetting to think about, but it’s important to know why leaving your dog in a car for any amount of time during the summer can be lethal so quickly.
What Happens to Dogs in a Hot Car
Let’s say it’s a relatively mild 85 degrees outside one morning and you decide to bring your dog with you to the grocery store. Maybe you think you’ll only be running in for one thing, and it won’t take long, and crack the windows for more circulation, assuming your dog will be fine. Even if your trip only takes ten minutes, the inside of your car can reach up to 99 degrees! By twenty minutes, the inside of your car will be nearly 109 degrees inside your car, effectively reaching dangerous temperatures for your dog. Multi-organ failure is the end result during exposure to temperatures of 109 degrees and higher for dogs.
In those temperatures, humans would have ample problem keeping their bodies cool enough to avoid heat injury. Dogs, on the other hand, are in an even worse condition in excessive heat since they have thick fur coats and don’t sweat. Dogs cool themselves through panting—rapidly moving air through their respiratory tract—but panting is ineffective against high heats like the inside of a car during the summer.
When the temperature in a car approaches and exceeds your dog’s core body temperature, panting because less efficient and your dog loses the ability to regulate their body temperature. A dog’s average temperature is around 100.5-102.5 degrees, meaning that a hot car is a dangerous scenario. Dogs can develop heat stroke faster than many other animals.
A dog who is experiencing heat stroke will begin to deteriorate quickly. First, they’ll suffer thermal damage to the lining of the blood vessels and extensive cell damage due to clotting. The kidneys will begin to experience injury, including decreased blood flow and potentially leading to renal failure. The liver tissue will also start to deteriorate due to reduced perfusion, direct thermal damage, and micro-clotting. Finally, a dog experiencing a hot streak will quickly begin to show signs of disorientation, muscle tremors, and seizures, usually resulting in a coma if left untreated.
What to Do in the Worst-Case Scenario
If you believe your dog is experiencing heat stroke, or find a dog in distress because of high temperatures, take swift action.
- Don’t use ice as this brings down body temperature too fast
- Apply tepid water to the dog’s body immediately
- Get the dog into a cooler environment as soon as possible, including an air-conditioned car
- Bring the dog to the vet immediately for life-saving measures
At the vet, your dog will immediately undergo life-saving measures such as oxygen therapy, fluid replacement, cooling techniques, and organ system monitoring. Most dogs will be admitted for 24-48 hours. Heat stroke mortality is around 50%, only emphasizing the reality that no dog should be left in a hot car or an excessively hot environment.
To learn more about what you can do to help dogs left in cars, check out our page The Heat Is On. You can even download a copy for yourself!
