Thirsty dog Walter / Photo: Trisha Lord St. George

by Trisha Lord St. George

Temperatures across the world have been hitting record-breaking highs.  Responsible pet owners know to keep plenty of water readily available for canine and feline friends—maybe even a bath or spray-down from the garden hose.

But what about the temperature of that water in the bowl or straight out of the garden hose?

A study from Texas A & M’s Department of Pathology, published in Veterinary Dermatology and discussed at the the American Veterinary Medical Association’s convention last weekend, has identified several surprising cases of burns during the dog days of summer.

Garden hose dangers

Twenty-two skin biopsy samples taken from dogs in the summer months of 2007 through 2010 were consistent with thermal burns.  Of these cases, ten had histories of exposure from hot water from garden hoses.  They occurred in areas where the daytime temperatures reached up to 90 degrees.  Many of these injuries were diagnosed to be second- or third-degree burns.  The severity of the burn depended on temperature and duration of exposure.

The study went to say that clinical signs may not be apparent for several days or even longer after heat exposure.  Several pet owners could not recall when or how the injury occurred.

An experiment

This reporter decided to conduct her own experiment.  Recently the temperature at a friend’s house in Escondido, California boosted the mercury to 95 degrees.  Water that was run straight from the garden hose into a metal dog bowl quickly rose to register on an ordinary candy thermometer at 125 degrees.  It took almost a minute of letting the hose water flow to get it to a cool point.

The temperature in the bowl remained steady at 100 degrees because the bowl, being made of metal, is a conductor of heat.

Many pet guardians might not realize how hot garden hose water can get, and they might simply start spraying their dogs with it, inadvertently scalding them in the process.

Advice

Make sure the water in your garden hose is cool to the touch before turning it on your dog, or filling his bowl with it. Also keep in mind that metal bowls absorb and hold heat longer than other types.

Keep the dog days of summer cool for your pets.

Please visit AIR again soon for continuing coverage of the AVMA convention by AIReporter Trisha Lord St. George.

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Trisha Lord St. George began her career in animal welfare in 1994 with non-profit animal shelters. Positions held included adoptions, pet encounter therapy and public relations.  Being a veterinary assistant gave her opportunity to be part of a medical triage/animal rescue team during the Hurricane Katrina crisis.

Trisha acts in film, theatre and TV productions, sings for various groups around San Diego, volunteers with San Diego’s public broadcasting radio station and with VITAS hospice with fellow volunteer Isabella, her cat.

As a lifelong animal lover, one of Trisha’s best childhood memories was “smuggling” a cat on a flight from Taos, New Mexico back home to Buffalo, New York (long story).

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