How long does it take for a dog to overheat in a car? A Step-by-Step Guide

PETA offers leaflets that can be placed on vehicles to remind people never to leave unattended animals inside. For information on ordering PETA’s “Don’t Let Your Dog Get Hot Under the Collar” leaflet, please click here.

If the authorities are unresponsive or too slow and the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment, take steps to remove the suffering animal from the car, and then wait for authorities to arrive.

Provide water to drink, and if possible spray the dog with a garden hose or immerse him or her in a tub of cool (but not iced) water for up to two minutes in order to lower the body temperature gradually. You can also place the dog in front of an electric fan. Applying cool, wet towels to the groin area, stomach, chest, and paws can also help. Be careful not to use ice or cold water, and don’t overcool the animal.

Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting.

When walking your dog, keep in mind that if it feels hot enough to fry a pepper outside, it probably is. When the air temperature is 86 degrees, the asphalt can reach a sizzling 135 degrees — more than hot enough to cook an egg in five minutes. And it can do the same to our canine companions’ sensitive foot pads.

How Quickly Does it Get Too Hot or Cold for a Dog?

Dog in drivers seat of green vehicle with windows open partlyOn a mild day of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside your car can quickly rocket to over 115 degrees, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics; most of this heat rise occurs within just 30 minutes. And dogs can experience heat exhaustion when their body temperature hits just 103 degrees.

Cracking a window and parking in the shade makes little difference. The problem is that cars are temperature conductors. Even in the shade and with the windows down, cars conduct and amplify the outdoor temperature — it doesnt need to be very warm outside for the inside of your car to become unbearably hot.

Leaving your dog in a freezing car can be just as dangerous as leaving him in a hot car, says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. When the heater isnt running, cold temperatures can basically turn your car into a refrigerator and could cause your dog hypothermia.

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When a dog starts to overheat, it will lose heat by increasing its heart rate and opening up the capillaries in the skin. It will also pant to lose heat through the mucus membranes in its mouth and nose, and may lick its body to cool it by evaporation.

Perhaps this happens because many owners dont really understand what happens to a dogs body in overheating and heatstroke. If a dogs internal temperature goes above 41°C (105.8°F) it is at risk of heatstroke, which only 50% of dogs survive. Some breeds are more susceptible than others – large dogs, dogs with short faces such as bulldogs and boxers, and overweight or long-coated dogs are most at risk – but every dog has the potential to suffer from heatstroke. It doesnt have to be boiling hot for this to happen either – when its 22°C, (71.6°F) outside, the inside of a car can easily reach 47°C within an hour(116.6°F).

Whether the heat stroke is brought on by being left in a hot place – such as a car, kennel or run in full sunlight – or by being exercised in high temperatures, the effect on the body will be the same.

If your dog does suffer from heatstroke, immediately seek the help of a vet. It is a veterinary emergency. If you see a dog in distress in a car on a hot day, phone the police, who will advise you what to do. And please never, ever leave your dog in a car on a hot day.

Dog overheating in a parked car