Pets and Heat-Related Illness

Let’s Get Started!

Summer in Maine and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is heating up! So is the risk for harm to our pets via heat-related illness. One would hope everyone understands and cares for the risks pets face due to extreme heat. Unfortunately, lots of people are unaware or do not place value in the fact that hot cars are a quick way to cause serious damage and even death to our beloved pets. That is where we at Burnell Pet Care and Education come in. We aim to spread the word and keep your pets from peril.

What’s the deal with heat-related illness?

Time to engage you with a little thought exercise. Take a moment to ask yourself, “Why do cars trap heat so quickly. How quickly do cars heat up? And what temperature is dangerous for myself, my children, and my pets?” Now that you’ve had a moment to head scratch, what do you think? Let’s find out together.

Cars experience the Greenhouse Effect just like…well, a greenhouse. The key difference lies in the speed in which cars heat up. One reason is the size of cars. Cars are small, tightly sealed spaces that heat up very quickly.

So how does the Greenhouse Effect work in a car? Let’s quickly review. It boils down, no pun intended, to two factors. The first is windows. Windows allow sunlight to enter your car. The second factor is infrared radiation (i.e., heat). As sunlight enters inside your car, the car’s interior materials heat up and release heat energy known as infrared radiation. Windows are made to let sunlight in, but block the easy passage of infrared radiation back out. The result? Trapped heat.

What else contributes to cars heating up? Poor ventilation and air circulation as well as dark colors are more factors that impact the speed of heat accumulation throughout a vehicle. Stagnant air trapped in a small space with sunlight pouring through windows is a perfect storm for danger. So how fast do cars heat up?

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), on a comfortable 70°F (21.1°C) day, a car’s interior temperature will rise to over 104°F (40°C) within 30 minutes, and reaching a 115°F (46.1°C) in one hour. As ambient air temperatures rise, down falls the required time it takes to reach hazardous temperatures. For example, on a blistering 90°F (32.2°C) day, a car reaches a sweltering 109°F (42.8°C) in just 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the car temperature may reach 124°F (51.1°C).

How does this relate to the health of our pet pals? Dogs and cats do not sweat the same way as you or I. With that said, dogs and cats do have sweat glands. There are two types, but that main ones are located mostly in their paw pads. Experts refer to these sweat glands as merocrine or eccrine glands. Though these structures allow for some sweating, heat loss is minimal. Therefore, another mechanism must control the body’s thermoregulation.

Panting is the main mechanism for thermoregulation in dogs and cats. This is absolutely necessary for survival when temperatures soar. The problem is panting can only regulate body temperature to a certain degree. Panting cannot keep up with the required heat loss in an enclosed car as temperatures quickly rise. Without proper thermoregulation, body temperature begins to rise. As our pet’s body temperature increases above normal, they enter a state of hyperthermia. Furthermore, once a pet’s body temperature rises to 105°F (40.6°C) or higher, a dog or cat enters the hyperthermic state known as heatstroke. Given that a dog and cat’s normal body temperature range is around 100.5 – 102.5°F (38.1 – 39.2°C), it does not take a lot to approach heatstroke and potential death. Pets can develop hyperthermia in as little as 6 minutes and death from heatstroke in 15 minutes.

What are we to do with this information? The simple answer is DO NOT leave your pets in cars when the outdoor temperature is 70°F (21.1°C) or above [SOURCE]. As ambient temperatures rise, internal car temperatures rise. An inverse relationship exists between temperature and time. As temperatures rise, time to heat-related illness or death decreases significantly. It only takes a matter of minutes for a pet to fall ill and potentially die as stated above. Do not forget that.

Some of you may ask about leaving the windows open. First, leaving windows down too far risks your pet escaping the vehicle leaving them exposed and at risk of other serious dangers such as vehicle collisions. Furthermore, the AVMA states that cracking the windows makes no difference when it comes to alleviating dangerous temperatures.

Simple Steps to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

The best way to protect pets is to avoid leaving them in cars altogether:

1. Keep pets at home: Make sure they have shade, water, and ventilation.
2. Bring them inside: Take them with you to pet-friendly places when possible.
3. Use a sitter: Ask a trusted friend, family member, or pet sitter to care for them.

What to Do if You See a Pet in Danger

Hopefully you nor anyone you know would dream of leaving their pets or children in a hot car. But you may wonder what you can do if you observe a pet in a car at risk of heat-related illness. The answer lies within state law.

According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University College of Law, there are 31 states with statutes on the books prohibiting leaving pets in cars under dangerous conditions, or at a minimum provide civil immunity to rescuers that decide to break into a car to save a distressed animal.

More specifically, there are currently 14 states at the time of this posting that allow anyone to rescue a distressed animal from a vehicle. Do not stop reading here as there is more to the story! Just because states may provide some form of legal protection to would-be rescuers does not mean a person can willy-nilly bust open a stranger’s car window at the first sight of a pup in a backseat. There may be steps one must take before breaking out the nine iron from the golf bag. Make sure you understand your state laws and local ordinances PRIOR to coming across such a circumstance.

If you are uncertain, and the owner of the vehicle cannot be located, contact the local authorities to ask for assistance. In fact, many state laws do not protect individuals from criminal or civil liability for breaking into another person’s vehicle even if the intention is admirable. Some states only allow certain authority figures to access someone else’s property without their consent if circumstances warrant such action.

Take Maine for example. According to Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Title 7, Part 9, Chapter 739, Section 4011-J, it is a criminal offense to leave an animal in a vehicle “when extreme heat or extreme cold will be harmful to its health“. However, Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Title 7, Part 9, Chapter 739, Section 4019 states that only “a law enforcement officer, humane agent, animal control officer, firefighter as defined in Title 26, section 2101 or security guard licensed under Title 32, chapter 93, referred to in this section as “authorized persons,” may take all steps that are reasonably necessary to remove an animal from a motor vehicle if the animal’s safety, health or well-being appears to be in immediate danger from heat, cold or lack of adequate ventilation and the conditions could reasonably be expected to cause extreme suffering or death”.

Therefore, it is best to contact your local authorities depending on your state and local laws. Persons deciding that time is not on their side or the pet’s side may decide on their own to take action. Each person that decides to save a pet must fully understand the potential consequences and be willing to live with them. You must decide on your own whether you are willing to face potential criminal or civil penalties. Hopefully for everyone’s sake, the owner returns in short order or the appropriate authorities arrive in time to assist. We must remember that our actions affect others besides ourselves. Leaving a pet in unsafe conditions puts the pet at risk, caring strangers with big hearts in a tough position, and local authorities with a tough decision to make. For everyone’s sake, be kind to your pets and be kind to each other.

Conclusion

Don’t leave pets in cars on warm days. Even a few minutes can be deadly. Protect your pets by planning ahead and avoiding situations where they might be left in a vehicle.

By staying informed and acting responsibly, we can work together to prevent unnecessary tragedies. Be kind to your pets and each other.