The heat waves earlier this month, and some warms days left before heading into fall, it’s a good reminder to not leave your pooch in the car, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
“Most people understand that leaving a pet in a vehicle on a hot day can lead to death or serious health problems for dogs in a very short period of time,” states the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s website, albertaspca.org.
“However, even on mild summer days it does not take long for the temperature in a car to reach dangerous levels.”
The Ponoka region was under a heat warning from Environment Canada for several days earlier this month.
READ MORE: Extreme heat warning in place for Sylvan Lake area
That said, the forecast for the area from the Weather Network is calling for more average temperatures in the range of 19 to 23 degrees Celsius over the next five days before dipping into cooler temperatures and rain showers next weekend.
However, even with an outside temperature of 21 Celsius, the inside of your car will reach 32 degrees in just 10 minutes, according to albertaspca.org.
After 20 minutes, that climbs to 37 degrees, and reaches 40 degrees at the half-hour mark.
Dogs have a limited ability to sweat, so overheat quickly, and even parking in the shade or rolling down the windows provides little relief, says the site.
If a dog is suffering from heatstroke, move them to a cool or shaded area, and begin to cool them down, starting with a fan, and using cool cloths on the back of their neck, armpits and groin area.
Then wet the ear flaps and paws with cool water and take them to a veterinary clinic immediately.
Do not force them to drink water or cool them down too quickly.