July/August 07

The connection between ‘dog days’ and a dog star (no, not Lassie)

8.29.07

In my last blog I talked a bit about safeguarding your buddy from the effects of the "dog days” of summer. That expression got me curious, so I did some digging into how such a description of sultry summertime conditions came about in the first place.

What, I wondered, does our species have to do with temperatures that cause people to have to turn up their air conditioners, car seats to become hot (youch!) and ice-cream cones to melt before kids have a chance to finish them? I certainly don’t find that kind of weather particularly enjoyable, since the asphalt tends to burn my paws and the beaches all have “no dogs allowed” signs on them. (Talk about discrimination!)

So this summer, as the mercury and humidity once again climbed beyond my comfort zone, I decided to find out for myself exactly why people insist on using the term "dog days" to describe a tropical heat wave.

It took some looking – but what I discovered was that this has nothing to do with actual dogs, and everything to do with dogs that the ancient Romans thought they saw when staring into space. And what they saw up there were clusters of stars that appeared to be in the shapes of two dogs – Canis Major and Canis Minor – that we know today as constellations. Now it just so happened that the brightest star in Canis Major (the bigger dog) was also the brightest in the entire sky, and came to be known as “the dog star,” or Sirius (seriously).

On really hot days I keep cool by taking a nap in the grass.

It also happened that in midsummer, Sirius rose about the same time as the sun, causing people back then to theorize that it was actually bringing about all that heat and humidity by making the sun hotter. And so it was that a purely imaginary dog came to be associated with days when the temperature soars past 90 degrees.

I’m telling you all this just in case you somehow got the idea from hearing that expression "dog days" that my friends and I are somehow responsible for any oppressive weather that this time of year tends to bring.

I could tell you more, but the stars are coming out, and I wanted to do a little star-gazing before bedtime. Talk later.

posted by Bumby at 8:30 pm

8.14.07

Protecting your dog during the ‘dog days’ of summer

Bumby here, listening to the hum of the air conditioner and thinking about what it means to be a dog during the “dog days” of summer. What I’d like to do before it gets any hotter, however, is to offer you a little advice on keeping your canine companion cool and safe from the hazards that summer weather can bring.

As a responsible pet parent, you probably are well aware that leaving your dog in the car on summer days is a no-no, but you might think it’s OK to do so while you dash into a store to do an errand. So what I (and the Humane Society of the United States) would like you to know is that on sultry days, the temperature in a car parked in direct sunlight can rise more than 30 degrees in a minute. In fact, when the mercury is at a mere 85 degrees, the inside of a car, even with the windows slightly open, can reach 102 degrees in just10 minutes – which is a little bit like leaving your pal in an oven.

Now, you may never have realized it, but unlike you humans, our sweat glands can only be found on our noses and the pads of our feet, so we’re not nearly as self-cooling as you are. (That’s why we pant so much in hot weather – it helps to cool us down somewhat, but not when the air is too hot.) Not only do we tend to overheat quickly, but we can’t open the doors or windows or turn on the air conditioning when things really start to feel uncomfortable, which can happen really fast inside a parked car. Even on days that don’t seem all that hot, a car can start to resemble a greenhouse within a very short time.

With "no dogs allowed" signs appearing on most beaches during the summer, some of us can't wait for the "dog days" to end so we can get our paws wet once again.

So my advice is – if you can’t take us inside wherever it is you have to stop, take us home first. Or better yet, don’t take us along at all – because a disappointed dog is a lot better off than one who needs to be rushed to the vet’s office from being left in the car for just that extra minute.

But the risk of your buddy becoming overheated isn’t just limited to a parked car. That’s why walking or exercising him when the weather’s hot is best done in the morning or evening – and remember that while you have protective footgear, hot asphalt can burn our bare paws.

Another good thing to know are some of the symptoms of heatstroke, which include heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, lack of coordination and profuse salivation. If you suspect your dog may be suffering from heat stroke move him into the shade or an air-conditioned area right away and apply ice packs or cold towels to the head, neck, and chest and call your vet as soon as possible.

I could tell you more but the cool kitchen floor is looking very inviting to take a nap on. Talk later.

posted by Bumby at 1:30 pm

7.19.07

Pet Promise mission on the move update

Back in April, I told you about all the excitement surrounding the 2007 Conscious Goods Alliance "Veggie Bus tour" that Pet Promise had joined up with. Well, since that time the bus has traveled from California to Ohio, making lots of stops in between and meeting people and their pets all over the country!

Now this is not just any bus, but one that runs on vegetable oil and powers its computers, lights and television with solar power. How's that for traveling green?

The Veggie Bus will have stopped at over 100 cities across the country by the time its year-long tour has ended -- so if you live in the East like I do, you may still have the chance to get a personal preview of the Earth-friendly way all buses may someday operate.

If the bus is coming your way, you've got to come out to meet it. Check out this schedule to see where it will be in the coming months and if you do go, don't forget to say hi to Danielle (who, by the way,will be giving out lots of samples of Pet Promise). If your dog is the kind who likes to meet people, by all means bring him or her along as well. My person has promised to take me up to meet the bus and its crew when it swings by New Jersey later in the summer (which means I'll no doubt be visiting my groomer for the occasion).

I could tell you more, but it's just about supper time, and with Pet Promise in my bowl I'm never late for dinner! Talk later.

posted by Bumby at 7:30 pm