The weather is getting warmer in many places, so it seems like a good time to talk about not leaving your pets in the car. This is important to know, especially if you take your pets on road trips frequently. Leaving them in the car while you go inside for a bite to eat is simply not an option.
A lot of people don’t realize that even if it’s only 70 degrees outside, the inside of a car can quickly become quite hot, especially if the car is painted a dark color and parked in direct sun. Think about how many times you’ve had to crack the windows, or air out the car after it’s been parked in the sun for a while, even on an unseasonably warm winter’s day. It doesn’t take much for the inside of a car to get too hot.
So what happens to your pet when you leave them inside a hot car? Well, the heat causes disastrous, and usually permanent, damage to their organs. It happens pretty quickly on a hot day, too. By the time you see a dog in obvious distress in a hot car, it is probably already too late — even though the dog is still alive, his organs may already be beyond help.
If you do accidentally leave your pet in a hot car, the most important thing to do if you want to save them is to get to an emergency vet RIGHT AWAY. Immediate vet care is the only thing that can save a pet once the damage to their organs has started. This is another reason why it’s good to always look up the emergency vet clinics in the area where you will be staying, so that you don’t have to waste time trying to figure out where to go.
Finally, don’t be tempted to crack the windows and “just run in real quick.” First of all, cracking the windows actually does very little to prevent the temperature in your car from rising. And secondly, you never know what will delay you, making your stop anything but quick: Long lines, spotting someone you know, or even a freak accident could delay your return until it’s too late.
For your pet’s sake, be sure you never leave them alone in the car on a warm day when you are traveling. If you know you are going to have to go to the bathroom at rest stops, plan your trip so that you are traveling at night or during the cooler parts of the day, so that you can safely leave your pet in the car. If you are at your destination, the solution is easy — just leave your pet in the hotel if you know you are going to have to go into places where they can’t accompany you.
