ROAD TRIP!

You know the drill. It’s Saturday morning. You are headed to the dog park or a friend's house with your doggie in tow. Since it’s the weekend, you decide to celebrate and treat yourself a little by stopping at your local coffee house for some java and a doughnut. You rush out of the car leaving your dog locked inside. Unfortunately, it turns out everyone within a 100 mile radius had the same Saturday morning idea. What should have been a 10 minute wait, quickly turns into a 30 or 40 minute wait of impatient foot-stamping, caffeine-deprived rage.

While you may be annoyed, your pooch is steaming - temperature wise. Leaving your dog in a parked car in the hot summer months is extremely dangerous. Most dog owners are aware of the cautions of such a habit, but not the extent. The temperature inside your car depends on the outside temperature. According to the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, in a time lapse of 60 minutes, a parked car can reach up to 123 degrees Fahrenheit even if the temperature outside is only as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun’s shortwave radiation quickly heats dark objects like seats and the dashboard. These hot objects then warm the car’s internal air, creating a dangerous hotbox.

While it is unhealthy for anyone to be locked in an overheated parked car, dogs and children are most at risk for suffering hyperthermia because they overheat more rapidly than adults. Hyperthermia is, “an acute condition that occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can dissipate.” Even opening the car windows is not sufficient enough to counter the effects of the heat.

To avoid this unfortunate situation, a good idea is to invest in a Wireless Digital Thermometer that reads the inside temperature of your car. Clean Run has an excellent thermometer for car owners with dogs. The sensor accurately measures the temperature of your car and sends it to the wireless receiver. Temperature readings can be sent wirelessly up to 330 feet away. As long as you religiously monitor the temperature readings and make sure the car temp does not rise to an unhealthy degree, it is possible to stop for that Saturday morning caffeine fix.

However, whenever you are in a bind and don't want to leave your precious pup home alone or stuck suffering in the heat of your car while you run errands during the hot days of the week, bring your precious pooch to Morris Animal Inn for daycare. Your dog will enjoy the cool comfort of our fully air conditioned facility, hydrating water breaks, and best of all, play and attention from our staff !

Sources: National Weather Service Heat Safety