The girls and I just got back from two weeks on Cape Cod, where they had a great time chasing sea gulls on the beach and bunnies in the yard, swimming, and either rolling in or trying to eat any dead crabs or decomposing fish they found. Definitely a life I wish we could live every day! But the one stressful part of the trip every year is the 9 or more hour drive from DC to the Cape in the summer heat.
With two people, no problem. But by myself, I have to run–literally–into rest stops with only enough time for the neccessary task at hand, I can’t risk the extra minutes to buy snacks or get caught in a line with the temperature at 95 degrees and the sun beating down on the car. I really wish the rest areas would create more shaded parking areas, or get porta-potties in the summer months so dog owners can, albeit awkwardly, hold the leashes while they take care of business. Sadly, hoping that they’d relax the “no dogs inside” rules in the summer is a long shot.
Watch this segment from the ABC show “What Would You Do?” to see how bystanders react to a dog left in a car on a hot day:
Some things you can do to prevent heat stroke in your dog include:
- Never leaving him/her in a parked car on hot days, internet sources say the interior temperature on even seemingly mild 70 or 80 degree days can rise to 100 or higher in minutes.
- Always provide access to water and shade.
- Don’t muzzle your dog (panting is one way dogs regulate their body temperature).
- Restrict exercise and/or only exercise in the cooler early morning or evening hours.
Here is an article from Peteducation.com about heat stroke, including symptoms, treatment and prevention guidelines.
One other thing to help your dog keep comfortable in the heat is to let them swim, as you can see my two enjoyed that option quite a bit:
Enjoying high tide on the bay
Two Dog Tales 
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