Tuesday, June 29, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.
Gina Knowlson pulled into the Petsmart parking lot of the Best in the West shopping center on Rainbow Boulevard with her 2-year-old golden retriever Betsy on a Saturday afternoon with plans to purchase a few summer necessities for her four-legged friend.
Since this summer will be the first Knowlson spends in Las Vegas, the 28-year-old New York native said she is taking extra precautions when it comes to keeping Betsy safe in the desert heat.
"I'm new to Las Vegas, so this summer is going to take some getting adjusted to," Knowlson said. "She (Betsy) is used to much cooler summers, so I'm a little nervous about how she will handle 110-degree heat."
Knowlson is not alone, according to Nancy Smith of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. With the city's population growing rapidly, hundreds of pet owners will be facing the Las Vegas Valley's triple-digit heat for the first time this summer and will need to take some extra steps to ensure their dog's safety.
Smith said these precautions are especially necessary for outdoor dogs, who are most likely to suffer heat stroke and other effects of the blazing sun.
Dogs that spend their time outdoors should have plenty of shelter away from the sun, she said. Owners need to remember that as the sun moves throughout the day, so will the shade, she said.
Igloo-style dog houses, made by Petmate and Doskocil, have nitrogen insulation to keep pets cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The igloos are a good option when it comes to outdoor shelter, according to Rose Flores-Gomez, store director of the Petsmart at 9775 W. Charleston Blvd.
Owners should also provide their dogs with plenty of water to last them throughout the day, Smith said.
"If you're going to have a dog outside, you would want to have a very heavy bucket to hold water because the first thing a dog will do is tip over their bowl," she said. "I would leave at least a 5 gallon bucket."
Flores-Gomez recommends a self-feeding water bowl that hooks up to an outdoor hose. "I also like to freeze some of the water and give it to my dogs," she said.
Pet owners should also avoid shaving dogs in the summer, especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors, Flores-Gomez said.
"When a dog is going to be outside in the heat, their coat becomes their protective shield," she said. "If you shave down their fur, they lose that natural insulator and their skin is exposed to the sun and can get burnt just like ours."
In fact, most veterinarians and professional groomers recommend against shaving dogs for the summer months, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. "Since dog's don't sweat to cool themselves the way people do, they don't need exposed skin to stay cool," an association spokesman said.
Still, a lot of pet owners insist their pet is happier with a shorter coat in the summer, Flores-Gomez said. "We (Petsmart) will always do what the owner wants, but we will recommend other options first," she said.
Dorian Branham, owner of Dorian's Cutting Edge, 3421 E. Tropicana Avenue, advises pet owners to have their dog's undercoat brushed out to rid them of excess hair that may trap the heat and humidity close to the skin.
"It's a good idea to then thin the undercoat a bit," Branham said.
Additional precautions should be taken any time an owner takes their pet outside the house or back yard, Smith said.
It's important that owners are aware of the dangers of leaving their pets inside hot cars, she said.
Hot weather can kill a dog left inside a car, according to the Animal Protection Institute, which recently launched the "My Dog is Cool ... is Yours?" initiative to inform pet owners that leaving a dog in a car for "just a few minutes" may be too long.
When it's 85 degrees out, the temperature inside a car -- even with the windows left slightly open -- can reach 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees in half an hour, the institute said in a written statement.
Leaving a dog in a heated car can cause brain damage or even death, they said.
Smith encourages anyone who sees a dog left inside a car to call Las Vegas Animal Control or the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society.
"They (Animal Control) don't mind breaking a window to get a dog out," Smith said.
When it comes to exercise, pet owners should avoid taking their dogs outdoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Flores-Gomez said.
"You should walk your dog in the morning or early evening, but if you're going to walk midday, don't let your dog walk on the street," she said. "The asphalt is just too hot and can burn their pads."
Exercising midday also increases a dog's chance of getting heat stroke, Smith said.
"If you see your pet panting heavily or become extremely lethargic, you definitely want to stop and find shelter," she said. "These are all signs of heat stroke.
"Put them in cold water and give them small amounts of water to drink and, if you don't see improvement, take them to the vet," she said.
Flores-Gomez said when it comes to summer, pet owners should follow the same rules as they would for themselves.
"You wouldn't go exercise during the hottest time of the day, walk barefoot on the hot street or go without water," she said. "So why should your pet?
"People think just because dogs are dogs, they can handle anything, but they can't," she said. "They need extra care and they're depending on you to get it."
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