Hot season dangers
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With temperatures soaring into the high 30s, special care needs to be taken of the elderly and the young
A friend just told me what happened to her pug a few days ago. At 15 years old, the little dog has developed special routines. She loves, for instance, to sleep in the sun for a few hours each morning. Then she wakes up and wanders into the house to enjoy the airconditioning for the rest of the day.
At her age, the dog is deaf and almost blind. She has difficulties walking because of arthritis, and her kidneys are failing. Almost every elderly animal (including people) suffers from the same problems.
The other day, though, when she fell asleep in the morning sun, she didn’t wake up as she usually did. Instead, she continued to sleep in the sun for a few hours more.
Normally, such a long time wouldn’t be a problem, but Bangkok is in the hot season now, and even the pug’s usual two hours in the sun might be a problem. No one realised how long the dog had been in the sun until they noticed how hard she was panting. Her gums were pale, and her tongue was a bright red.
She was drooling too, but the drool wasn’t frothy but heavy and sticky. Although she had finally woken up, she didn't seem to know where she was.
Being a short-nosed breed, a pug doesn’t breathe as efficiently as dogs with longer noses. Thus the heat wasn’t reduced as efficiently, either.
The dog was in heat shock. Without help, she was going to die in a few minutes from a complete body shutdown.
Luckily, my friend is a vet. She immediately brought the little dog into the house, where it was cooler. You might think this first step is a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people, caught in the panic of the moment, don’t think of getting their dog out of the heat or at least into some shade.
She then packed the dog’s abdomen and head in ice. She didn't put the ice directly against the dog, but wrapped it in wet towels first so that it wouldn’t “burn” the skin.
Some people say that you should hose the victim with water first, but since so many homes nowadays don’t have bath tubs, you might have problems with water spilling all over the floor, unless you’re outside.
During the hot season, people who leave their dogs outside during the day have to be careful. The little pug has the choice of staying outside in the garden or inside in the house (when she doesn’t fall asleep and forget to come in), but lots of people simply tie their dog up outside, where it can’t get away when the direct sunlight moves into its area.
Do be sure to leave a large bowl of clean water out as well.
Within a half-hour or so, the little pug had recovered. It didn't matter if she couldn’t see or hear - her nose told her where she was and who was taking care of her.
