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Dear Nanny Fran,
What time of day is safe to jog with your
dog?
The more appropriate question is: What
time of year is the safest to jog with your dog? My answer would be
winter time. When the temperatures are in the 50s and 60s and no
higher. I state those temperatures for several reasons. Most
importantly dogs do not perspire like humans. They can overheat
very easily. And, because they adore you, they will keep on running
until they die. I have been in the animal emergency room when a dog
was brought in who was totally limp from heat exhaustion. In this
case the family had only been walking through their neighborhood
for two hours! The little girl in the group kept trying to tell the
adults that her puppy was thirsty. No one paid any attention to her
or the dog until the dog collapsed. I was still sitting in the
reception area when the family left. Their dog had died. I can
still describe in minute detail the little girl and the expression
on her face as she left the building. Such a shame… so
needless. A needless death is inexcusable!
I have been around people and animals all
my life and for 13 years I have been a pet sitter. I am here to
tell you unequivocally that most people do not pay attention to
their animal enough to know if it is tired, thirsty, limping,
depressed, sick, hungry or whatever! They are totally clueless.
I was driving out of Palm Harbor’s
Ridgemoor subdivision one day last summer and drove by a woman
riding a bicycle with her golden retriever on a leash running along
side. The temperature was ninety degrees! Besides the danger of her
dog’s leash becoming entangled with her bike and all three
hitting the concrete and being injured… the dog could run
much too much and suffer heat exhaustion and/or death. I was so
concerned that I turned around and drove back down the road.
After passing the lady I pulled over and
got out of my car. She stopped peddling when I waved her down. I
asked if she realized that dogs do not perspire like humans and
that her dog could very easily become overheated and die. Angrily
she blurted out to me: “I am intelligent. I have four college
degrees.” I know many people who are scholars, even Mensa
members, who have no common sense! At that point I offered her my
water bottle for her dog and when I poured water into a dog dish
the poor dear lapped it up in an instant. Well, of course, the
“well papered” lady was incensed and got on her bicycle
and peddled away.
I also saw on four occasions a lady
jogging through Eastlake Woodlands, again at noontime on a ninety
degree day, with her Shih Tzu. Not only was it unsafe for any human
or animal to be exerting themselves in the noontime heat but her
breed of dog is not “built” expressly for running! The
second time I stopped and spoke to her she blurted out:
“Other people have stopped and told me the same thing you are
telling me!” She was very angry. I was also incensed and I
shouted out to her: “If your dog dies and you know that you
were the cause how would you feel?” I know for a fact that if
I ever caused the death of any creature because of stupidity that I
could not forgive myself.
I adore Cesar Millan, host of “Dog
Whisperer,” and totally agree with him about exercising your
dog. On his show he skateboards and rollerblades with dogs. While
the exercise is wonderful for all concerned I want to remind you
that this is Florida… not California. Tonight at 11:30 p.m.
the temperature was 82 degrees and midday it was 92. The heat was
overpowering. Please observe your dog at all times and be aware at
all times of your dog’s physical and mental condition.
Exercise does nothing for a dead dog.
© 2007 Francene Mattucci. All Rights
Reserved.
Francene Mattucci founded Never Say Good
Bye Pet Sitting Service in 1994. Call 727-512-3206, visit
www.TampaBayPetCare.com or email
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