LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
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Fitness at the Beach: If You Can't Stand The Heat |
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by Rick Moore |
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Youre all probably well aware that this past week, weve had record-breaking temperatures hovering near the 100 degree mark. No doubt youve spent most of your time at the beach, or in luxurious air conditioning in your car, home or office. Our furry little friends are often not so lucky. This column will be a little different than usual. Im going to tell you about the summer health and fitness of our close companions and friends, namely our pets. Because many of us are on vacation, we also bring our pets along because they are considered part of our family. Recently, its come to my attention that many of us do not use common sense when in a situation like the past couple of weeks with the high temperatures. It was very distressing the other day for me to see an elderly lady park her car in the sun with the cutest little pooch youve ever seen. The problem? The dog was left inside the car, with two windows cracked open a couple of inches, and the car parked in the hot sun at 11:00 a.m. Wouldnt it have been better if she left the dog at home? Chances are, if you cant stand the heat, your pet cant either. Now I realize that this woman probably stepped into the store for just a couple of minutes, but those couple of minutes could mean life or death for that little doggy. I know that a friends dog died in their family auto when her father stepped into the grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread. He became engaged in a conversation, lost track of time, and came out to find the dog dead. Another scenario that really disturbs me, and Ill probably receive a lot of flack about this, is people taking their pets to the beach. Picture yourself on the beach wearing a fur coat in 90-degree-plus temperatures, sometimes not even having fresh water to drink! I know we all love our dogs and cats. Dave and I own a beautiful sheltie by the name of Candy, and a terror on four paws, a cross-eyed Burmese kitty by the name of Nifty. We let them relax in air conditioned comfort. Heat makes them uncomfortable. Verrrry uncomfortable! Dogs and cats must be protected from the sun and heat even more than their owners. They can suffer from heat stroke if they are kept in an unventilated home or car. They are also susceptible to sunburn, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are a few simple precautions you can take to keep your animal fit and healthy during the summer months: Never leave a cat or dog in a parked car. Interior car temperatures will rise dangerously high in a matter of minutes, often higher than 180 degrees. This is a very frequent cause of animal tragedy. If you are outside with your pet, always supply cool water. In really hot weather or high humidity, discourage your pet from running or excessive exercise. In very humid weather, never leave your pet outside. Put them inside in an area with good ventilation and lots of fresh cool water with ice. If you dont have air conditioning and it is extremely humid, you can sponge down your dog or cat with cool water before you leave for the day. Dont close all the doors or windows to the point that youve sealed the house up. Limit the time your cat or dog spends in the sun, especially for light-haired animals with little fur. Try not to let them outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You can apply a sunscreen to the top of the nose, ear tips and belly. No kidding! Avoid shaving your dog too close to the skin during the summer months, as you are exposing their skin to the perils of sunburn. Look out for biting flies and mosquitoes. They attack the ears and nose, leaving bite wounds that can become infected. You might want to try spray repellants. Did you know that dogs and cats do not sweat? They do not have sweat glands in their skin like people do. Instead, they pant to get rid of excess heat. The evaporation of moisture in their lungs causes cooling. But they also lose moistened exhaled air, which is why extra water is needed. Panting uses more energy, so be sure to provide adequate food when its hot. Otherwise, your pet will loose a great deal of weight and possibly develop other medical problems. Lets say the worst-case scenario does happen. You can keep your pet safe, but you might come across someone elses pet that needs emergency attention due to the heat. This could happen in a parked car, dog carrier, or structure such as a garage or shed. The symptoms include weakness, dilated pupils, open mouth, panting, a staring expression, salivating, vomiting and inability to stand. Heres what to do: Put the animal where it can get fresh, cool air. Use a spray water bottle or towels soaked in cool water on the head and body. You can also immerse the animal up to its neck in a cool bath. Make sure the water is not icy, as you dont want to over-chill the animal. Give them ice cubes or a small amount of water to help replace lost body fluids. Their condition should improve within 10 minutes. After the pet is revived, call your veterinarian. Take all precautionary measures when on vacation with your pets! See you at the beach! Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates. He believes in common-sense, drug-free training. Visit him at Ricks Fitness & Health, Inc., in beautiful downtown Milton. Check out his website at http://www.enrapt.com/ricksfitness, or give him a call at (302) 684-3669. |
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LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 10, July 31, 1998. |
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