Dog owners are being warned to beware of hot pavements as walking pets in scorching temperatures can injure the sensitive pads on dogs' feet.
A Washington state veterinary hospital said that a golden retriever had been brought in for treatment after the pads on its feed had been burned off while on a walk in hot temperatures.
"Hot weather means hot pavement!" the Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital wrote in a Facebook post containing graphic photographs of the dog's injured feet.
"Olaf walked over a mile on the Fish Trap Trail before his owner realized his pads were burned," the Medical Lake Veterinary Hospital wrote, adding, "and even then he wasn't whining or limping! He is one tough cookie (and exceptionally sweet cookie)."
"A good rule of thumb is if the pavement is too hot for your hand it's too hot for your dogs' pads," the hospital offered a further word of advice.
The post sparked numerous comments.
"My Dakota is sad that he didn't get his walk today," one commenter wrote, adding, "but I kept telling him hot pavement would hurt him."
"Poor pup!" wrote another. "I’m constantly reaching down and touching the pavement before our walks. Just ordered some dog boots for this summer."
Vet Warns Pet Owners to Chuck Dog Toy After Use Leads to Surgeries
The incident recalls the case of a veterinarian warning pet owners about a $5 plastic chew toy sold at some Kmart stores and online that could lead to their dog needing surgery.According to the vet, "last week two completely separate dogs (unrelated and unbeknown to each other) came in on consecutive days to a local emergency centre both with an obstructed gastrointestinal tract. (Vomiting, not eating and very sick)."
"Both required major abdominal surgery to remove the obstruction. In both cases, it was a $5 Kmart dog chew toy."
"Warn everyone out there. They are brittle, and somehow break, and dogs think it's a good idea to swallow them."
Brisbane's Wilston Vet said it had notified Kmart about the incidents and urged them to stop selling the $5 Two Handled Tug Pet Toy.
"Our colleagues who saw these patients have contacted K-MART directly to remove them from their shelves...so let's hope they do," Wilston Vet wrote in the post.
"We want all members of the family; including our furry friends, to have a safe and positive experience when using our products at home," the spokesperson said.
Family Dog Survives Eating Five Bags of Heroin
In another similar case, a family dog in Australia survived the harrowing ordeal of swallowing six baggies of heroin.After becoming sick, the dog was treated with medication and—eventually—surgery.
No Ordinary Walk In the Park
Shelby, a 16-month-old cocker spaniel, was out for a walk in the park with owner Denis Parslow, according to the Daily Mail report.Parslow told the news outlet he noticed Shelby had picked up a large plastic bag off the ground.
“He had something in his mouth which was quite large so I challenged him and he swallowed it,” Parslow told the publication.
The owner recounted how the dog became less active than usual, and later began to vomit.
He took Shelby to a veterinarian, where an X-ray revealed the disturbing cause of the dog's persistent malady.
Parslow said the veterinarian gave the dog Narcan—a medication normally administered to people suffering from a heroin overdose.
The bag of drugs was inside the dog for five days, the owner told Daily Mail, before it was decided to remove it through surgery.
Shelby’s treatment ended up costing the family around $2,800, according to 7News.
Authorities in Australia said anyone who finds illicit substances should contact the police immediately.