How to Survive the Dog Days of Summer
Hot temps, no breeze, and blazing sunshine can keep people inside climate controlled buildings or shopping malls. But not me. I love everything about summer–cool blue swimming pools, ice cold lemonade, chips and fiery salsa.
Ninety-plus temperatures and heat advisories fail to keep my family inside, and if we're outside, you'll usually find our three dogs--Jack (a 3-year-old German Shepherd), Millie (a 6-year-old Belgian Sheepdog) and Sasha (a 10-year-old Golden Retriever)--outdoors with us.
And apparently, that is o.k. as long as we've "acclimated" ourselves to the heat. According to an article in The Dallas Morning News, outdoor enthusiasts should workout at a lower effort for at least five days gradually building up their heat tolerance.
"It's amazing how well the body learns to acclimatize. But at first, it's dangerous," cardiologist Benjamin Levine, director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, told The Dallas Morning News.
But people aren't the only ones who should worry about the heat. Common sense and precaution should also prevail when venturing into the great outdoors in the heat of the day with your four-legged friends.
Watch for symptoms of heat illness–Excessive panting, listless eyes and gasping for air spell trouble. Just like people, dogs need to be hydrated and have shade.
Acclimate your dog to the hot weather– Like people, dogs need to gradually build up their tolerance to the heat. When packing water for yourself, make sure you pack extra wa
ter and a travel water bowl for your dog. We have an nifty hiking pack for our Shepherd that my dog expert sister Maggie Bonham sent to us to help carry our water and travel bowls.
Follow Technorati