Home > Learning Center > Spring & Summer Safety for Dogs - Warm Weather Hazards continued
Spring & Summer Safety for Dogs - Warm Weather Hazards
continued
Pick-Up Trucks
Like so many of the dogs who die in over-heated cars, many of the dogs involved in tragic pick-up truck mishaps are much loved pets that their well-meaning but un-informed owners take with them wherever they go. Putting a dog, unsecured, in the back of a pick up truck, is dangerous even if you're only going a few blocks. It's unsafe even if your dog is an obedient and faithful companion who would never, under any circumstances, jump off the truck or make a move without your command. There are also some state-wide laws and laws in cities and counties in various states that prohibit driving with a dog in the bed of a pick-up truck.
There are many possible dangers for a dog riding in the back of an open pick-up. When riding in hot, summer sun, dogs can become overheated and suffer heatstroke. Insects, gravel particles, and other flying debris can cause eye injuries, or lodge in the throat or nasal passages and cause serious problems.
Sudden braking or swerving, even hitting a pothole or bump in the road, can throw a dog off a truck. Dogs that do survive the impact of being hurled onto a road are often hit within seconds by oncoming traffic. The sight of a dog flying off the back of a truck onto a highway can cause a major traffic accident and, in the commotion that follows, a frightened and disoriented dog might manage to get up and run away, in spite of painful bruises and cuts. Most dogs who live through the ordeal must be carried off the road, because of serious injuries like fractures and/or internal trauma and bleeding.
Don't attach a dog's leash or chain to the inside of an open pick-up truck. If a dog tries to jump off or is thrown from the truck, it could be hanged or seriously injured by being dragged along the road before the driver ever realizes what happened.Never put a dog in a truck bed covered by a tarp or a metal or plastic shell made to fit right over the bed. Temperatures inside will quickly become unbearable in warm weather. Regardless of outdoor temperatures, a pet inside a covered truck bed without ventilation can become a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Anytime a dog must ride in the back of a pick-up truck, place the dog in an airline type kennel or use a covered pet crate and fasten it securely to the truck bed Always park in the shade in and have drinking water available in hot weather.
Covering a pick up truck bed with a with a fiberglass shell that has screened windows which can be opened for cross ventilation is a good way to safely transport pets in a pickup truck. A camper shell provides protection in bad weather and it can be locked so no one else can get to the dogs. Add a rubber bed liner and blankets for comfort and a secure crate for longer trips.
If there's no room for your dog to ride in the cab with you, and you can't provide the security of a camper shell or at least a secure crate for protection from summer sun and heat, lovingly leave your dog safely at home.
Dog T shirts | Dog care | Learning Center | Site Map | Links | Contact | Home
Copyright © 2008