Car Safety

Summer is a great time of the year! We take our dogs to the lake, for walks, and to classes. Right after Memorial Day, I saw one of my obedience students come rushing into the clinic. Hersey, her chocolate Labrador puppy had just jumped out of her car window on the way to class. One of our doctors examined him and all he had was road rash and torn nails. He was one very lucky dog. Too many times that is not the outcome. Too many suffer some sort of injury or simply don’t make it to the clinic to be treated.

I know we love to see dogs with their ears flapping in the wind. However, if their heads are hanging out of the car, it means their eyes and ears are being hit with road debris at 35 mph or greater. Road debris can be anything – sand, plastic pieces, or even glass. Then think of the bugs they are being hit with! This can cause injury to both their eyes and ears. It may look like fun for them, but truly not safe as Hersey’s owner will tell you.

Cars – I always remember to roll windows down as far as I can – owning two springer spaniels that are not too far. For many of us, we think we are going to be gone for a couple of minutes and lose track of time. On a hot day with the temperature in the 90’s your steering wheel can reach 127 degrees, the seat your puppy sits on can reach 123 degrees. The worst is the dashboard which can reach 157 degrees. Would you want to touch something that hot?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, hundreds of dogs die each year from being left in a hot car. As pet owners, we can prevent this from happening to our own pets.