Take Care of Your Dog in the Texas Heat

Prevent Heatstroke by Taking
These Precautions:

Never leave a dog in a parked car. On a mild 73ºF day, the temperature inside a car can reach 120ºF in 30 minutes.  If you see a dog in a car and in distress, take down the car’s color, model, make, and license-plate number, have the owner paged inside nearby stores, and call local humane authorities or police. 

Don’t carry your dog in the bed of a pickup truck. This is always dangerous, but the heat brings the added danger of burning the dog’s feet on the hot metal. Don’t take your dog jogging—except on cool mornings or evenings—and don’t force exercise. On long walks, rest often and take plenty of water. 

Trim heavy-coated dogs’ fur, but leave an inch for protection against insects and sunburn. Keep your dog indoors. If he or she must stay outside for long, avoid the hottest part of the day. Provide shade and water. Keep drinking water in an anchored bucket or a heavy bowl that won’t tip over.

If you see a dog in distress, contact humane authorities. Give the dog immediate relief by providing water.