Can I bounce back from this?
I took the dogs I am watching for a walk last night. It is hot as hell here and I knew that so I waited until it was close to sundown so it had cooled a little. But they had major cabin fever because their owners have a big beautiful house and a large backyard. I had come home to them having chewed up some of my stuff so I knew I needed to take them out to release their energy. I also knew we shouldn't be out long so I just decided to take them to a nearby park and turn around and come back.
One of the dogs is a Frenchie and the other a Rottweiler mix (so vastly different needs and energy levels) as you probably know, Pugs and Frenchies and those dogs with mashed faces don't have a strong respiratory system to begin with and I did know that so when we got to the park (which was only about 10-15 min from my house) I could tell he was breathing heavily and I thought I just needed to let him rest. But then he started spitting up a bunch of foam and acting really funny. I tried to get him to move so I could take him home out of the heat and he wouldn't move. I carried him into the nearby bathroom and laid him on the tile floor to cool and splashed cool water on his head, back and tummy. He was wheezing really hard and felt super hot. I googled it and they said overheating/heat stroke can happen more easily with these dogs and that if he doesn't start breathing normal within 5 min I needed to get him to the vet asap because his airway could shut off completely and he could suffocate. I called the emergency vet line since it was after hours and they confirmed I needed to bring him in ASAP. I was stranded at the park with two dogs, but luckily some good Samaritans helped me transport him to the vet. I got him there in time but just, he is on oxygen and has to be there 48 hours where they can monitor him. His owner is SO upset and rightly so, I just feel so awful.
I am not looking for anyone to say it isn't my fault because I do take full responsibility. But I am so distraught. I have owned dogs and cannot fathom what the owners are going through right now. I cried all night and didn't sleep. I don't know if I can bounce back from this or not feel afraid watching dogs in the future. I know if I choose to stay on Rover, in the future now I only want to take one dog at a time unless they are both small dogs because of the different exercise levels and my small apartment without a yard. I am new to Rover ...
I was watching a Boxer puppy over the weekend (they also have breathing issues). It was very hot this weekend high 90s. I was housitting but was very strict on how long we stayed outside. This was over a period of 6 hours and we would only stay out for maybe 10 min intervals per hour.
She did do the breathing thing a bit but no like you described and it got better. She went and drank water laid in the house on the cool tile floor and it really helped. I am sure she was fine but i still worried. I just am extra cautious about heat even when dog walking.
I also let the dog owner know about the heat and make sure they still want us to walk or be outside and check the weather to make sure. Just because I may be alright out there does not mean the dog can handle it. I do that no matter what breed.
Yeah I understand not leaving them out too long that is why we didn't go far. We really were only out 10-15 min when he started acting like this. I am also new to this kind of heat. I moved from Buffalo, NY to Alexandria, VA and it just doesn't get hot like this there.
I definitely understood all the normal precautions around heat such as NEVER leaving them in a car, providing adequate water throughout the day, making sure they aren't outside for long periods of time especially in the heat of the day. I just never thought at sundown after a 10 min walk could do it