It was an ordinary late afternoon. The big white van brought Peppy home from puppy playtime, but she wasn’t ready for the day’s fun to end. She grabbed her frisbee and enticed me outside. I was having fun and she was having fun – all over the yard, frisbee fun – when she slipped and fell after a catch. That had never happened before. We headed inside, where her panting was extreme. Her eyes didn’t look right and she was salivating excessively. I tried to control my panic, draping her with wet kitchen towels and gently soothing her (after frantically googling “dogs and heat stroke”). Within 15 minutes her breathing had settled, and mine began to as well.
Later that night, after nerves had calmed, we talked.
“I threw the frisbee too many times this afternoon,” I began. “I’m so sorry, Pep. I didn’t mean to push you too hard.”
“This afternoon was scary,” she admitted.
“For me too,” I agreed. “But even scarier for you.”
“It’s hard to slow down when you’re having fun,” she reflected. “It’s hard to know when you’re having too much fun.”
“Yes. But I’ll be more careful tomorrow,” I assured her. And I thought about how life is the near neighbor of death for all creatures.
(My husband suggests that this line of thought is an overreaction, in keeping with the tendency of my thoughts toward mortality and disasters, but I stand by both my generalized and specific anxieties.)
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VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION from The Dogington Post on heat stroke in dogs: http://www.dogingtonpost.com/how-to-treat-and-possibly-save-overheated-dog/
What a scare you ladies had! Glad your Momma is quick on her feet. Speedy recovery to Miss Pepper. Xo
Thank you for all good wishes, Reed! We have a week of very hot temps ahead plenty of indoor time for Pep and me! xo
Good post. I’ve had two different dogs overheat. It’s scary, and important to recognize the signs and know what to do to save them.
Thank you, Deb! I hope this is my only experience with it. xo
Thanks for posting this Jennifer. It reminds all of us dog owners how quickly this can happen and to watch out for the signs. It sounds like you did all the right things to help Pep recover swiftly. You’re a good mom.
You are very kind, Sara! You can imagine the horror when I realized that I didn’t slow us down when I should have. xo
I’m so glad she is ok–you, too!
Thanks, K!! I think I took longer to recover than she did. xo
This goes for dogs, too, I guess:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0
YES! Hard for a girl with a strong spirit like Peppy!! xo
I do not think you are overreacting at all. Pepper’s experience is just an example of how quickly life can change for all of us! We cannot take one minute for granted. It is a blessing that she is fine, but a lesson for everyone to not push our limits! I think sweet Pepper understands this more so now! And you are an extraordinary mom!
Thank you so much, Darlene!! Xo