Summer has arrived at last dis weekend here in Cornwall. I bin outside sun bavin smornin, but itz too hot to stay out dere long.
Muvva's put sun cream on me ears and round me snout so I dunt get skin cancer, so me got greasy ears and nose Pffft
As yoo know, if yoo red me last blog post, us furries is prone to skin cancer as much as hoomans but not many people know dat. *Michael Caine voice*
So today as it hot n sunny me got 2 fings to remind yoor hoomans, an most of dem know alreddy but its wurf sayin agen
Dunt leave dogs in da car wen it parked even wif da windows open a bit, cuz dey still cook inside and die an orruble deff.
Rememba:
When it’s 22°C/72°F outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 47°C/117°F within 60 minutes.
Dogs pant to keep cool. In hot stuffy cars dogs can’t cool down - leaving a window open or a sunshield on windscreens won’t keep your car cool enough.
If you see a dog in a car on a warm day, call the Police on 999. If the police are unable to attend, please call our 24-hour cruelty line 0300 1234 999.
Heatstroke - early warning signs
Heatstroke can be fatal. Some dogs are more prone than others:
dogs with short snouts
fatter/muscley dogs
long-haired breeds
old/young dogs
dogs with certain diseases/on certain medication
Heatstroke develops when dogs can’t reduce their body temperature. Symptoms include
heavy panting
profuse salivation
rapid pulse
very red gums/tongue
lethargy
lack of coordination
reluctance/inability to rise after collapsing
vomiting
diarrhoea
loss of consciousness.
Heatstroke - first aid
Act quickly, heatstroke can be fatal! If dogs show any signs of heatstroke, move them to a shaded, cool area. Ring your vet immediately.
Urgently, gradually lower their body temperature:
Immediately douse them with cool (not cold) water, to avoid shock – you could use a shower, or spray and place them in the breeze of a fan.
Let them drink small amounts of cool water.
Continue dousing until their breathing settles – never cool dogs so much that they begin shivering.
Once your dog is cool, immediately go to the vet.
Warm weather tips
Dog panting at the open window of a hot car © Andrew Forsyth / RSPCA Photolibrary
Your dog must always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment.
Never leave dogs alone in cars, glass conservatories or caravans even if it’s cloudy.
If you do leave dogs outside, you must provide a cool shady spot where they can escape from the sun.
Always provide good supplies of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days.
Groom dogs regularly to get rid of excess hair. Give long-coated breeds a haircut at the start of summer.
Never allow dogs to exercise excessively in hot weather.
Dogs can get sunburned – particularly those with light-coloured noses/fur on their ears. Ask your vet for advice on pet-safe sunscreen.
Rite dat's me lecture ova pals, sowwy bout dat bol
Now da second fing me got to say today is how to help us keep cool in da hot wevva. Hoomans can buy us speshul cool coats, to keep us cool and stop us getting overheated, but dey expensive, and not all our hoomans got enuff money to get us one, cus dey got ovver fings to pay for and evfurryfing so expensive deez days int dey? So me found a patter for a cool coat dey can make us at home. It's ded easy and it werks on da same principul as all dem shop bort ones, evaporashon! *nods and taps snout*.
So why pay lottsa money wen dey can whip up a DIY one in a couple hours? Whats dat? Muvva carnt sew? Shame on her! *wispas* between yoo and me, my muvva sews wif red hot needle n burning fred as gramma used to say. She got dog teef stitches dey dat big and uneven Bahahahaha BUT my fwends dis ere DIY cool coat is made on a sewing machine and as long as yoo muvva can press da foot pedal and point da material in a straight line under da sewing machine foot fing she can make yoo a cool coat. Dey can do more dan dey fink, dey clefa fings deez hoomans, but dey need to be told dey iz capable and can do it cuz dey tend to fink dey useless. Well dey is at sum fings like werld peace and all dat stuff but sewin a little old cool coat int one ov dem useless fings. Even hoodads cud do dis one.
Enuff of my mytherin and onto da destrucshons on how to make it. Yoo better tell yoor hoooman to get da printer out to copy dis down cuz be easier to print it off so dey can keep lukin at it as dey go. Reddy? Ok here we goes:
Here’s a great project (from Finland) for a DIY version of the cooler coats like the Swamp Cooler, the Keep Cool Coat, or the Cool K-9 Cooling Vest. All of them use evaporative cooling to keep your dog from over-heating, though obviously you shouldn’t rely on it to keep your dog cool in a locked car or anything like that.
Once your DIY Cooler Coat is finished, just soak it in cool water, ring it out lightly, and place it on your dog.
You’ll need:
an old towel (if you dont haf an old towel try a charity shop) or buy yard of towelling, amount depends on size of dog
Bias binding(seam binder) (at least 1.5″ wide)
velcro
sewing machine
thread
scissors
Also need a plate to put da money on each time hooman uses rude werd wen sewing, it cud add up to enuff to buy some treats!
Download da pattern by clickin on da pic or on da link unda da pic
Here's destrucshons:
Cut the fabric. Don't cut out the collar (part 'B') as it's not needed on the cooler coat (this pattern can be used to make a normal dog coat). Sew the finishing strip all the way around the edges.
Try the cooler blanket on the dog and choose suitable places for velcro on the front (about place C) Choose a spot for stomach band also (about place A)
Sew in the front velcro, if you do not want to use there velcro at all, sew pieces together. Just be sure that dog's head can fit through. Sew stomach band in place from one side, sew also some velcro to it's free end.
Try the cooler coat again, now it's easy to spot the place for velcro so that the stomach band works. Sew it in place and the cooler coat is finished!
An dere yoo haz it pals. Easy peasy bacon sqweezy! Muvva finks it'd be better if da coat woz double thickness insted of juz one thickness. Cuz wud stay cooler longer.
If yoo hooman rilly is totally useless, an dunt be embarrassed cuz a lot ov dem are, tiz luck ov da draw if we gets a good one or not, den I wud suggest dey just use an old towel and put it ova yoo to see ware to fix da velcro or even safety pins to hold it on. Corse if yoo got one ov doze helpless hoomans dey probbly good at summit else besides sewin, like picking da bestest noms eva from da shop an waitin on yoo nose and paw! Carnt haf it all pals.
Qwick update on hoouncle, cuz I knows yoo iz wondering how fings going. He not doin well at all bless him, and muvva rilly worried bout him, she not happy neivver cuz she can sees him gettin more frail each day and more unable to cope wif ordnary fings. She finks he shud be in hospice but she fighting da system to get him da care he needs an shud haf. But he hangin in dere and not givin in yet, but between yoo and me we dunt fink he got a lot longer an it very hard for me and muvva to cope wif. So we trying to lead as normal life as we can, and muvva trying to be brave and show da werld she happy go lucky wen inside her werld feels like it fallin apart.
Well me gotta go now my dear fwends cuz I got to check on duckies and make sure dey ok. Haf a grate day my fwends. Love each ovver and enjoy each ovvers company. Treasure each minit my darlin pals.
Love yoo my fwends
Bonnie
xoxoxoxoxo
