During the summer months, some pet owners forget their heads and try to stick with their winter and spring dog walking schedules! Here at Leesville Animal Hospital we wanted to take a moment to remind you to check the temperature of the asphalt outside before you think about taking your dog out for a walk during the summer months!
Just as the interior temperatures of cars can be much hotter than the temperature outside, the temperature of asphalt can be much hotter than the ambient temperature as well! Take a look at the numbers in the above chart illustrating asphalt temperatures using a study done of thermal contact burns from streets and highways. When the temperature outside is 87 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of asphalt can be as high as 143 degrees! You wouldn’t think of walking on anything so hot, so please don’t make your pet!
If you are unsure whether the asphalt outside is cool enough to walk your pet press the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt for 7 seconds first!
Thank you for being a responsible pet owner!
