OUR STORY
In 2003, I moved to Florida and later adopted a new running partner, Sophie, a lovable black lab who loves the beach as much as I do. However, we had one problem: the heat.
After nearly losing her to heat stroke one night, I crafted a rash guard out of my running gear, but it only provided UV protection. Then later, disappointed not finding a cooling garment that met my needs, I got to work quickly on designing a shirt that would provide dog and owner peace of mind against heat stroke and after 11 years... Summerdog™ was created!
Teresa + Sophie Dog
Heat stroke isn’t just a “hot” state thing - as recently evidenced by the summer heat wave in the Northwest,” said Dr. Darrell Horn, DVM, stating that heat stroke is very similar to kidney disease, a “silent disease,” as warning signs are hard to diagnose.
HEAT STROKE occurs when a dog's own body temp rises faster than it cools - or a temp above 102Ëš- then it has 20 MINUTES before it becomes life threatening!
IDENTIFYING THE MASS PROBLEM
There are 300 cases of heat stroke reported nationwide a year in canines, and 50 to 70 a year in Florida alone, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. However, that figure is disputed as there are a significant number of cases being misdiagnosed and unreported, as many as 766,000 annually nationwide.
I alone have seen on average 12 cases a year," says veterinarian, Dr. Darrell Nazareth, DVM of Vero Beach, FL, "and agree that the figure would be more if it was easier to diagnose.
