Are you hesitant about leaving your pet inside your car? Perhaps you’ve heard stories about people who overlooked the dangers of leaving a dog inside a car and paid the consequences.
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This may have to do with the myths and misconceptions that exist about leaving dogs in hot cars, especially during the summer season.
The fact is that the temperature inside a car increases within minutes, exposing your dog to brain damage and heatstroke.
Hence, it is vital to start debunking dangerous myths about leaving dogs in hot cars once and for all.
In a positive note, your dog is your best buddy, so learning more about the ways to keep them safe is another way of showing that you care.
Leaving your windows cracked is ok
Studies have proved that leaving the window cracked offers very little, if not insignificant, protection whenever you leave your dog in a hot car.
For example, one study demonstrated that the average temperature increase of 3.4 °F per 5 minutes in a completely locked car was only reduced to 3.1°F per 5 minutes by cracking the windows.
As the temperatures inside a car increases within minutes, your dog would need more than that to stay cool and safe.
Leaving your dog in car for “a few minutes”
Leaving your car for a few minutes while your dog is left inside is not even a valid excuse, as you don’t know how long it is going to take you to come back from the grocery store or any other place you stopped by.
What if you bumped into a good friend of yours while running some “quick” errands? Your dog would be paying the consequences of your decisions.
It may be difficult to track but try to time your “short trips” to the store so you could get an idea of how long it takes you to complete such task.
There’s no danger when the temperature out is only 70°F
When the temperatures gets anything around 70°F, your dog is still vulnerable to feel the adversities of the heat leading to a potential brain damage or heatstroke.
Another study that took place in San Francisco showed that temperatures inside a car during a mild day (72°F) reached 93°F, 105°F, 110°F, and 119°F in 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes respectively.
That’s enough for your dog to get a heatstroke. Remember that there are several factors including medical conditions and weight that have an impact on the health of your pet.
Leaving water inside the car is good for your dog
While leaving water helps your dog stay hydrated and prevent heat exhaustion, it doesn’t really make it any better for a dog that is left inside a parked a vehicle.
Once a dog is trapped inside a car, their ability to pant at a moderate level is affected regardless of the amount of water that they drink.
Dogs need to stay cool so they don’t start panting excessively, which is another indicator that the dog may be suffering from a heatstroke.
Just turn on the air conditioner to stop worrying about it
Sometimes the air conditioner or the car engine fails, putting your dog at a huge risk of getting a heatstroke. Other times dogs inadvertently switch the A/C off, which makes it even worse.
When the A/C fails to work, the air that blows from there usually turns from cool to hot, making it unbearable for a dog to stay inside.
In other words, while turning the A/C on inside your car contributes to the protection of your car, it can also work against you, increasing the chances of a deadly consequence.
SEE ALSO: Should We Now Raise The Minimum Legal Driving Age?
