I thought I killed Maggie.

She likes to go out, just not for long (obviously) when it’s this warm. So I put her out and went upstairs for maybe 15 minutes (it might have been a little longer, but it was definitely less than half an hour). I came back down to let her in and she was under the patio table (in the shade) but came to the door…except she was severely panting and stumbling around and OH MY GOD THE DOG HAS HEATSTROKE.

She got a drink and I immediately wet a towel and put it on her (damn NC water won’t even get remotely cool) and she kept trying to move but was wobbly and stumbling and OH MY GOD I’VE KILLED THE DOG.

So while I’m holding the cool towel on her, I debate calling the vet, but think I just need to get her cool so I Google on my phone and basically the wet towel is one step, and another is to get her under cool running water, so I carry her upstairs and put her in the tub, but of course it’s just lukewarm water—not cool at all—and she doesn’t like the tub, but oh well and she’s still panting and she still feels quite warm and all I can think of is HOW WILL I LIVE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I KILLED OUR DOG. :'(

So I put a fan on and made her lay down in front of it while trying to get her to drink more (she didn’t). I kept following her around with the wet towel and after about 10 minutes she seemed to be doing okay (no panting, her skin wasn’t hot, she wasn’t stumbling anymore) and now she’s laying in her bed in the sun seemingly no worse for the wear.

Of course, I’m still freaked out that I damaged her irreparably, but logically I think she’ll be just fine.

And I learned my lesson—no going outside unless I am there to keep an eye on her. At least not until fall. :meh:

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