Hot Pavement & Puppy Paws
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 11:54:00 AM America/Los_Angeles
It’s August. The hottest month of the summer in most states. You know the basics: Don’t leave your dog in the car and always make sure they have plenty of water and shade. But what you may not know is that the pavement, the sidewalk, and the seats in your car can be extremely dangerous and painful for puppy paws. On a 77 degree day, pavement in the sun has been measured at almost 130 degrees. If it’s a summer day in the upper 80s, as most days are, pavement gets to nearly 150 degrees. It takes only 10 seconds for your dog’s paws to blister and burn on a surface this hot. The Test: Place the back of your hand, or your bare foot, on the pavement for at least 7 to 8 seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for you dog. If the temperature is over 85 degrees, always test the sidewalk as well. Although it is lighter in color, and reflects the heat better, its temperature can still rise quite significantly, depending on the time of day, and how much exposure to the sun it gets. The leather seats in a car that has been sitting in the sun can also quickly burn puppy paws. Ever get into a car with leather seats after it’s been sitting in the sun? Most of us know that sudden shock of the back of your thighs burning! You either have to wait it out for the AC to kick in and cool the place down, or you decide to sit on a towel or blanket. Don’t forget about your dog! The temperature of light grey leather seats, in a car whose air temperature is 130 degrees, will be around 150 degrees. That’s far too hot to sit on yourself, and definitely too hot for you pup’s paws. Their paw pads are burning up, even if they don’t make it obvious. So always remember to be vigilant when it comes to the summer heat and your four legged pal. If it’s too hot outside, skip the walk around the block and have your pup use their Bark Potty in the AC instead. Bark Potty is an indoor potty, similar to puppy pads/wee wee pads, except it has no smell, requires no maintenance, is REAL bark that dog’s love to pee on, and lasts weeks at a time! No hot pavement, no problem :)
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