Pet risk: Climate making summer walks risky at times in Worcester. It'll get worse.
WORCESTER – Dogs love taking walks, and we enjoy it, too. At least when the weather is nice.
But as climate crisis changes summers in Worcester for the rest of our lifetimes, getting hotter year after year, there will at times be a difference between a nice day for us and for them. Or you and your dog will both be hot, but you might not realize they are in a danger zone.
The forecast calls for hotter days this coming week, with temperatures expected to hover close to 90 degrees on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
That level of heat can be a health hazard for dogs who are exerting themselves.
This year, twice as many hot days as normal are expected. During a typical summer, three decades ago, Worcester would have pierced the 90-degree heat-index threshold about seven days, according to analysis from First Street data.
This year, about 16 days are expected to reach or exceed that 90 heat index locally.
And, in our region, the number of summer days with "hot pavement" conditions for dog paws has risen steadily since 1970 due to global heating, according to experts at Climate Central.
Your experience of heat can differ from your dog's
“You have to be really cautious when you take a dog for a walk when it’s hot outside,” said Elizabeth Rozanski, an associate professor of emergency and critical care at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
The caution is heightened for dogs as climate crisis heats the planet, creating dangerous risks when pets are outside in the hot summer months. Dogs shed excess heat differently than humans do.
Cats aren’t immune from the risks, but Rozanski noted they’re generally smart enough to stop exercising when overheated. That doesn’t mean dogs are dumb, it’s just that some breeds love to frolic outside and have a tough time turning off the energy switch when they get overheated.
Rozanski warned never to leave pets inside a hot car on a severely hot day because the inside can feel like an oven, and make sure they always have plenty of water to drink. Plus, a shady spot to escape the heat.
Advice that dog and cat owners in Worcester must remember as New England’s second-largest city could face more severe heat waves in the years ahead.
Thirty years ago, the chance of Worcester experiencing three consecutive days of 93 degrees or hotter was 18%, according to First Street. This year, the chance is 48%, and it could reach 80% three decades from now.
Sidewalks can feel like hot griddles
Otis, an American Staffordshire terrier, had a peppy bounce in his step as he and owner, Emely Henriquez, took a recent stroll in Beaver Brook Park.
It was a sunny day in the upper 60s, perfect for being outside.
Henriquez worries about taking Otis out for walks when the sun is blazing, because his paws could get singed on sidewalks.
It is a legitimate concern, as asphalt surfaces can reach 125 degrees in the direct sun when the air temperature hits 77 degrees, according to Climate Central, an independent nonprofit that researches the changing climate and how it affects people’s lives.
When sidewalks and roads are that hot, they can burn human skin and a dog’s unprotected paws.
Numbers don't lie
As for pets suffering from heat illness, it’s a yearly occurrence in the Worcester area.
Rozanski has spent the past 20 years working in emergency medicine at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts, where officials report up to five cases of severe heat stroke annually, along with countless episodes of mild to moderate overheating.
As for how heat intensity affects pets, the physical impacts aren’t much different from humans, Rozanski said. Weakness and dehydration set in, followed by intestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea, and then cardiovascular collapse. Blood pressure falls to a dangerous level and extreme shock sets in.
Death is a possible outcome.
Ease into the heat
An important point, Rozanski said, is to remember it takes time for people and their pets to adjust to the dog days of summer. Especially in New England, where there are four seasons, so when the high heat arrives, our bodies – and those of our pets – need time to adjust.
Bottom line for Rozanski: Keeping pets safe during heat waves is a no-brainer.
“Most of this is common sense. If you’re hot, then your dog’s hot,” she said, adding that dogs with dark hair retain heat, and short-nosed breeds like the French and regular bulldogs have a hard time breathing in extreme heat.
According to Climate Central, "A study of veterinary records of dogs in the U.K. found that exercise triggered nearly three-quarters (74.2%) of all heat-related illnesses, compared to 5% that were due to being confined in a vehicle. Older and flat-faced dogs (brachycephalic breeds, e.g., bulldogs, Shih Tzus and pugs) were at greater risk of developing heat-related illness just by sitting outside in hot weather."
Other risk factors for heat stroke in dogs include:
Being a large-breed dog (over 33 pounds)
Being overweight, regardless of breed
Lack of acclimation to hot or humid conditions
Lack of fitness
Some large breeds are more susceptible, including golden and Labrador retrievers, and military or working dogs such as Belgian or German shepherds
Tongue wagging
While Otis enjoyed his day outside under 70 degrees, his tongue eventually started to hang out. It’s a common sight in the pooch world as dogs let their tongues droop while panting as a way to regulate their body temperature.
Another way to accomplish that is to flop under a chair for some shade. That is what Bella, an 8-month-old Labradoodle, did at the Beaver Brook Dog Park.
Bella’s friend, a 2-year-old Goldendoodle named Leo, didn’t look for shade. But his energy level did drop as his frequent barking ended, and he sat quietly next to his owner, Pano Celo.
Celo knows how to keep Leo cool on hot days. He wets his four-legged pal down with cold water before they head out for a walk. But if temperatures climb into the 90s, Celo said he takes his dog outside just long enough for a bathroom break. “Then it’s back inside,” he said.
Henriquez knows what she’ll do when the expected near 90-degree heat hits Worcester in a few days.
"Walks in the evening when it’s cool,” she said.
The Telegram & Gazette is investigating the effects of a rapidly heating planet on people who live in our city. Follow along with "City on Fire" as we report the struggle with summer temperatures, even in New England. This is part of the USA TODAY project Perilous Course. Contact reporter Henry Schwan to be included in a story if you have been affected by heat: expense of air conditioning or lack of it, health risks, less access to green space, concern about pets and animals in the summer conditions, worry about an older loved one, etc.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: When it is too hot to walk your dog in summer in Massachusetts
