It is summer. It is time to be outdoors.

Your pet is family and you want them to be with you when you are doing the outdoors things, but you just have to stop by wherever first. It will only take a moment.

That is a recipe for disaster.

I am always amazed at the sauna that greets me when I open the truck door in the summer. Even with the door opening and the windows down it is several minutes before it is merely hot.

“But it is not that hot and it will just be a minute.”

Nothing is ever “just a minute.”

And a Stanford University study showed that even on comparatively cool days, such as 72 degrees, a car’s internal temperature will rocket to 116 degrees within 60 minutes.

An 80-degree day becomes 123 degrees inside a parked car in the same hour.Keeping the windows open a crack hardly slows the rise at all.

If it is warmer out, the car heats up quicker and to hotter temperature. Even with the windows cracked, outdoor temps in the 90’s can result in temperature increases to 115 degrees Fahrenheit in about 15 minutes.

I don’t know about you, but I think 115 F is beyond hot.

The car left in the sun acts like a solar oven. The shortwave radiation of the sun easily travels through the atmosphere and the windows of the car. The air and windows are warmed very little.

But this shortwave energy heats the dashboard and seats. A dark dashboard or seat can reach temperatures in the range of 180 to more than 200 degrees F. Then these objects heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection.

The sun’s rays are also changed to give off longwave radiation which stays in the car and is very effective at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

It is not just pets that die in cars. Since 1998, there has been an average of 37 child hyperthermia deaths a year. (These rates have risen, probably due to air bags requiring kids be left in the back seats.) Elders left in cars are a risk also.

Pets, kids and older folks do not handle the heat as well. Dogs only sweat on their paw pads and their noses.

They rely on panting to provide the evaporative cooling that we get by sweating all over our bodies. Unfortunately, evaporative cooling requires low humidity; something not found in a closed car.

Once a dog’s internal temperature from heat stress reaches 106 F, there are rapid systemic changes to the liver, kidneys, heart and brain. This requires expert veterinary care.

If you find a pet that is suffering from heat stress or heat stroke, you should pour water on its head and drive with the windows down to your veterinarian immediately.

The a/c is not as efficient at cooling the brain (the most important organ) as the water and moving air.

Veterinary care includes evaluation and core cooling which includes IV fluids. Although it would seem like a good idea, ice packs can make things worse. When placed on the extremities, they can lead to vasoconstriction which slows the circulation and increases internal temperature.

It is better just to prevent this all together. Use the drive-through at banks, pharmacies and some restaurants. Some stores allow pets. Pet stores often carry some “human” items like candy and snacks. Board your pet for the hour, day or trip. Sometimes a travel kennel in the shade can be a good idea, but in the sun it will still heat up and don’t leave it where it will be bothered by bystanders. If you leave your pet in a carrier, be sure to leave water.

If you see a dog (or child or elder) in a car, don’t be afraid to speak up. If you feel uncomfortable calling 911, talk to the store manager, a friend or family member.

I cannot imagine that being baked is a pleasant way to die.

MJ Wixsom practices veterinarian medicine at Guardian Animal Medical Center in Flatwoods, Ky. For questions, call 606-928-6566.