According to Marcia Breithaupt (www.LHAS.com) experimental tests on live animals for thermal burns had been done by several researchers in the 1940’s. The data showed several key temperatures:
120 degrees F – the initial pain threshold for direct skin contact without permanent damage
140 degrees F – burns, permanent damage and scarring appear after 1 minute contact
150 degrees F – rapid burns and blistering
A 95 degree outside temperature can mean that black pavement can be 140 degrees…blacktop 120 degrees…a red brick sidewalk only about 5 degrees cooler than the black top
If you can’t walk on the sidewalk bare-footed without discomfort, don’t make your dog do it.
Here’s a Katy Trail Newsletter about protecting your pet on the Trail: http://www.katytraildallas.blogspot.com/2015/06/keep-your-k9-cool.html