How Hot is Too Hot for a Dog? This Hot

If you think you're doing your dog a favor by bringing him with you on hot summer days, think again.

The inside of the car heats up more quickly than you may realize, to levels that are dangerous for most dogs.

Carrie Jacobson, local editor for the Montville (CT) Patch, conducted a series of experiments over the course of the week to determine just how hot it gets inside a car in varying conditions.

'I just ran into the store to buy one thing'

In the first experiment, Jacobson left the car with the windows shut, in a department store parking lot for an hour. It was 83 degrees outside. Inside the car, it was 108.

'But I parked in the shade'

Second, Jacobson parked the car in the shade at Town Hall, with the windows cracked. It was 81 degrees outside. In two minutes, the temperature inside the car had jumped to 86 degrees. In 10 minutes, it had climbed to 90 degrees.

'But the windows were cracked open'

Third, Jacobson parked the car in front of a local police building, with the windows cracked. It was 83 degrees and overcast.

After five minutes, the temperature had climbed to 86 degrees.

In 10 minutes, the temperature inside the car was 90 degrees.

In 30 minutes, even with the clouds, and the windows open, the temperature inside the car had hit 100 degrees.

After an hour, the temperature outside had climbed to 94 degrees, and the temperature inside the car was 110.

WHILE DOGS HAVE higher body temperatures than we do, the only way they can release heat is through their mouths and the pads of their paws.

Like people, different dogs can tolerate different levels of heat. Older dogs are more susceptible to heat stroke, as are dogs with short noses (pugs, Pekingeses, etc.), dogs with dark coats, and of course, dogs with thick coats. Also, dogs who are overweight or in poor general health.

Signs of heat stroke, according to msnbc.com are excessive panting or drooling, very fast breathing, a dark or bright red tongue or gums, staggering, or bloody diarrhea or vomiting.

ORANGE COUNTY ANIMAL CARE officers won’t hesitate to break a car window if a dog is in distress, said Katie Ingram, the agency’s community outreach supervisor.

“Our first priority is getting into the vehicle and cooling them down,” she said. “Even when it’s in the 80s, the temperature inside the car can be over 100 even with the windows cracked.”

Officers have a laser thermometer to determine the temperature inside a vehicle.  If the car is parked in front of a store, animal control officers will try to find the owners and issue them a warning.  However, if the animal is in distress, officers won’t waste anytime in breaking them free, said Ingram. Officers then take the animal’s temperature to determine if they are suffering heat stroke, and the animal may be rushed to the county veterinarian for emergency care. In rare cases, it’s too late. In these situations, the owner will be cited and can face prosecution for animal cruelty.

“In the hot summer months, we get calls daily about an animal locked in a vehicle. The public is definitely good about paying attention to that,” said Ingram. “It could be once a week or month that we have to physically remove the animal from the call, but that can fluctuate on 100 degree days.”

IF YOU SEE A DOG—or any animal—locked in a car in a situation that you think is dangerous, you can ramp up your courage and seek out the owner of the vehicle and explain why he or she should get the dog home, or you can call:

• Orange County Animal Care at 714-935-6848
• Long Beach Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387
• Seal Beach Police at 562-799-4100
• Los Alamitos Police Department at 562-431-2255
• Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000.

There are ways to help your pet stay cool at home. Many pets enjoy the breeze from a fan. You can put ice in your pet's water. If your dog is at all amenable, you can run a hose over him or her. The evaporating water will help him feel cool. Likewise, a cool, wet cloth wrapped or draped around his neck will help. If you have your act together, you can freeze the bandana or cloth and put it on your dog just before you take him out walking.

Make sure your dog has plenty of water!

IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO COOL OFF TODAY, here are a few ideas:

is going out of business, but likely hasn't turned off the air conditioning off. Plus, you might want to buy a book before it goes out of style.

has to keep its ice cream froznen, and that can only be good news for patrons who press their cheeks to the glass case.

has plenty of shade, and though it's not air-conditioned, catching a breeze under the trees still allows you to call yourself an outdoorsman. And if it does get too hot, you can walk into the nearby and enjoy the quiet room.

And finally, to see a guy baking cookies inside his car, click here.

Carrie Jacobson and Paige Austin reported in this article.