Keep your dog cool with water | Pets | The Sun Herald

JOHN FITZHUGH/SUN HERALDPaul Roberts of Biloxi pours water for his dog, Sahara, at the off-leash dog park on Popp's Ferry Road in Biloxi on Thursday, July 18, 2013.

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Cars can be a dog's worst enemy, and water their best friend during the summertime heat.

"We get a lot of calls of animals left in the cars," said Capt. Harold Windom who oversees Biloxi Police Department's animal control officers. "That's probably the most dangerous.

"Folks don't realize that it gets so hot" in cars, he said, speaking of pet owners who drive around with their pets and leave them in the car to run errands.

"It takes a very few minutes" for the car to get dangerously hot.

"The second thing is not enough water," Windom said.

Veterinarian Dr. Allen Roberts of Moss Point agreed.

"If they're outside, they need shade and they need water," Roberts said.

"If you're going to leave them outside, put much more water than you think they would ever drink," Windom said.

"A five-gallon bucket is not too much water,"

he said. "It's much better to have way too much than not enough."

At the off-leash dog park on Popp's Ferry Road in Biloxi, most dog owners wait until late afternoon to come out and let their pets run.

"That's why we only come out at night," said Robert Scruggs of his two Siberian huskies.

"They do not do well in the heat," he said. "They're indoors all the time."

All the dog owners at the park bring water for their pets, though the dogs always seem to prefer any bowl but their own to drink from.

Paul Roberts brings a gallon jug of water for Sahara, a border collie-Labrador mix.

Sahara had her long hair trimmed "to keep her a little bit cooler," Roberts said.

Trimming "seems to be beneficial" for some breeds of dogs, Allen Roberts said, but light-skinned breeds are more likely to be sunburned.

"You've got to worry about sunburn, and they will burn just as easily as us," Windom said.

A dog suffering from too much heat can be identified by excessive panting and drooling, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and vomiting, said Allen Roberts, who has practiced for 37 years.

He recommends using a wet rag to cool the dog, and even putting them into a bath of room-temperature water, then slowly cooling the water.

"Give it some time and get that temperature down," he said.

Breeds with flat noses like boxers and pugs are more likely to suffer from the heat, as well as overweight, older and unhealthy dogs, he said.

"If you see a dog that's in distress, call, we'll come check it out," Windom said.

"We'd much rather check out a dog and find out they're okay than come pick one up and have to dispose them because they've already passed away."

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/22/4814363/keep-your-dog-cool-with-water.html

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