05/02/2024
Paw Pad Burns
Inexperienced pet parents may not realize how hot pavement can get during the summer. Remind them that asphalt and cement surfaces can be significantly hotter than the surrounding air temperature. In fact, one older study found that, in direct sunlight and no wind, asphalt temperatures can reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit when the air temperature is only 77 degrees and 135 degrees in 86-degree weather
Asphalt heated by the sun to 135 degrees can fry a dog’s paw pads in seconds. Make sure your clients know that air temperature is not a good indicator of ground temperature. To judge how hot the pavement is, tell them to use this rule of thumb: Press your own bare feet or hands for 10 seconds on the pavement. If it is too hot for you, then it is too hot for your dog. Find a different, cooler way to get your daily exercise, or go for a walk on soft surfaces like dirt trails or grass.