walking in the heat, dachshund edition

Took Sesame and Poppy out at 5.30 this morning before the sun comes up. That is the only time you can walk in Rama 3 without melting. The soi is quiet, just the 7-Eleven guy outside and one old auntie doing her stretching.

Dachshunds are not built for heat. Their back is long and their legs are short, so the ground is much hotter for them. I learned this the hard way last year when Poppy stopped in the middle of the soi and refused to move. Now I check the road with my hand first. If I cannot keep my hand on the asphalt for 5 seconds, the dogs should not walk on it.

Sesame has more energy than Poppy. She wants to walk all the way to the Chao Phraya path but I say no, too far. We do 20 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes after dinner when the air is cooler. The rest of the day they stay in the room with the air con on.

Hulk the new kitten does not walk with the dogs. She prefers to sit on the balcony and watch the crows. Maybe she is smarter than them.

Some tips from me: bring water in a bottle with a small bowl, do not walk at noon, and watch their tongue. If the tongue looks too red or they drool a lot, go home immediately. My husband thinks I am overreacting, but I lost one dog to heat stroke many years ago so I am careful now.

I also changed their food to a lighter one for summer. My vet said it is fine. The heat this year is really too much, even the rain does not help.