Dogs and cats in caravans in Summer

[Laura_374368563]

Please don't leave your dogs or cats in the caravan on a hot summer's day. The caravan does get very hot inside and the pet will suffer terribly in the heat. Please don't leave your pet in the car on a hot day, even for a short period. I know this because we were caravaning one summer we took our pets with us when we went out, on returning to the caravan it was so hot inside we had to open all the windows and sit outside with our pets until the caravan had cooled down. Had we left our pets in the caravan we would have returned to very distressed or even dead pets. If you like to take your pet with you when you caravan, please take your pet with you when you go out too. If you can't take your pet with you, why not ask someone to sit with your pet for a short while. Think of your pet first and yourself second.

 

[LMH]

Good advice there Laura although I would hope most dog/cat owners would already be aware of that.

My friend's dog died of heat stroke last Saturday, personally I wouldn't have taken my dog out in such heat, but hey ho.

You can buy cooling jackets for dogs and they are excellent.

The quickest way to bring down a dogs temperature if it is starting to overheat is to put an ice cube up its rectum, then get it to a vets immediately. If you immerse a dog in cold water during the mid stages and beyond in heatstroke, you risk sending it into shock.

As Laura says, don't leave them in hot vehicles or caravans and if you have to take them out during hot humid weather daytime, try to find plenty of shade.

Lisa

 

[AnnM1]

We keep a cold bowl or water (in a shady area) nearby on hot days, replenishing it as necessary. Not for my dog to drink although she will do this, but to emmerse her paws at the first sign of heating. I was given this advice by a vet and it does seem to work. If the day is particularly hot we leave her indoors with the patio door slightly ajar, the windows fully open, so is able to get some rest.

Ann

 

[AnnM1]

We keep a cold bowl or water (in a shady area) nearby on hot days, replenishing it as necessary. Not for my dog to drink although she will do this, but to emmerse her paws at the first sign of heating. I was given this advice by a vet and it does seem to work. If the day is particularly hot we leave her indoors with the patio door slightly ajar, the windows fully open, so is able to get some rest.

Ann

By indoors, I mean in the house. Wouldn't dream of leaving her in the car/caravan even on cold days! She always comes out with us.

Ann

 

[path20]

We keep a cold bowl or water (in a shady area) nearby on hot days, replenishing it as necessary. Not for my dog to drink although she will do this, but to emmerse her paws at the first sign of heating. I was given this advice by a vet and it does seem to work. If the day is particularly hot we leave her indoors with the patio door slightly ajar, the windows fully open, so is able to get some rest.

Ann

We have left our little dog in the caravan on a hot day(app.20 degrees) for an hour or so but always made sure she had plenty of ventilation and water with ice in.We left the top vents open(shaded), left all windows on the night vents,closed the blinds on the sunny side and left two fans on for her.We also left the key wih a neighbouring caravan who were not going out just in case.When we arrived back hot and sweltering(after a bike ride) she was lying there lovely and cool.We also always tried to park the van under or partially under a tree.

 

[Duggie_374362603]

HI! Laura we take our dog with us all the time (lab x) and we laeve him in the caravan all the time it has never gotten that hot inside that we open all the front windows 3/4 inches open 2 rear windows same leave a bowl of water out 4 him close all the fromt blinds 4 inches from the bottom is left up .then he has a shaded area to sleep in put an old towel on top of the seats have done it for years and had no bother ( either that or we have never had hot weather

 

[RogerP]

We leave our 2 dogs in the van at times , never more than 2-3 hours though.

We open all the roof vents and leave all the windows on the night latches , with the blinds drawn to 3/4 down on any window that will get sun whilst out.

The dogs have plenty of fresh cold water and they're happy. I've never experienced the van getting hot , quite the opposite in fact we've come back to a well cool van and a welcome relief from the heat out side.

My dogs are very well looked after and are happy snoozing the day away in the safety and cool of a well ventilated van.

Margarets tip of ice cubes is one I'll also now adopt as well as I'd never thought of that before.

 

[RogerL]

Please don't leave your dog in the caravan at any time of year - it's anti-social to clear off for the day leaving your dog to bark all day, upsetting the tranquility of most camp sites.

Why bring the dog if you don't take it out with you? It would be better off in good kennels.

Even with windows ajar, blinds closed and extractor fan running the sun's radiant heat can push the internal temperature over 30 degrees, even when the ambient is only 20.

 

[Dustydog]

We never have and never will leave the dogs alone in the car or caravan on a hot day.

Roger is quite right that the temperature can rise very quickly. It then becomes extremely uncomfortable for the dog if not on occasions fatal.

Also there are always the anti dog brigade who will take the opportunity to call in the RSPCA and / or the Police . Next thing you know is your dog's confiscated and you face a conviction for cruelty to animals . Then you get a lifetime ban from ever having dogs again.

Come on, if you take your dogs with you trreat them correctly. Ours have never been a burden to us nor do they spoil ours and others enjoyment.

No doubt "GUMBO" will moan again because I have mentioned the POLICE. LOL

Cheers

Alan,

 

[Duggie_374362603]

Please don't leave your dog in the caravan at any time of year - it's anti-social to clear off for the day leaving your dog to bark all day, upsetting the tranquility of most camp sites.

Why bring the dog if you don't take it out with you? It would be better off in good kennels.

Even with windows ajar, blinds closed and extractor fan running the sun's radiant heat can push the internal temperature over 30 degrees, even when the ambient is only 20.

Roger L what a load of crap my dog DOES NOT bark all day nor is he a burden to me he is never left allday as you put it . anytime that he has been left he has been very happy as when i return the first thing i do is ask the next caravan if he has been any trouble .and at anytime would i put my dog in any form of stress or worry or whatever so where you get your info from i do not know?? the caravan is cooler than the awning as i have seen some people doing putting there dogs in cages .i must be the only one with a nice kool caravan at no time has my dog EVER got hot in my van

cheers

Duggie

 

[path20]

As I have mentioned before we have left our little dog in the caravan on a hot day whilst we have gone out for a ride on our bikes for a couple of hours.Windows open, fans on, blinds and shades partly down,plenty of water. When we have returned the van has been cooler than outside.I think it depends on what you mean by 'hot'.We wouldn't dream of leaving her in the van if the outside temperature was much above 20 degrees.Now that would be cruel.

PS She didn't bark all the time. We asked the neighbouring caravanners.

 

[Silversusie]

Each time we go away in our caravan, I locate a kennels near the camp site in case we want to do something that isn't dog-friendly. For example, in Cornwall we spent a day at the Eden Project (which states that it has some shaded parking places but it's a pain to keep having to hike back to the car - it's a very long walk).

I have never yet found a kennels who wouldn't accept a day boarder. Knowing the dog is being cared for means we can relax.