# Sticky  Working dogs in the heat



## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

*This was written by a friend of mine who spent years working as an emergency vet tech and treated many dogs for heat stroke. very good information*



Heat stroke and heat exhaustion is something all K9 handlers must be knowledgeable about. Its not simply seeing that your dog is panting and/or lethargic, but knowing the resting, as well as working temperature of Your dog and what to do in the case of heat stroke/exhaustion. Heat stroke can kill any dog if not treated immediately an aggressively.

"Once the heat stroke occurs, damage to the dog’s muscles, organs, and metabolic processes can occur. Heat stroke in dogs is a potentially life threatening condition that requires immediate medical treatment." 

Normal temperature for dogs is 100 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Mucus membranes (gum color) should be pink and moist, not red or dark pink (injected) or pale/white. Pressing your finger against the guns and timing how long it takes for the color to return is called capillary refill time.. Normal CRT is 1.5 to 2 seconds. Anything longer or shorter, take note.

Also knowing your dogs resting and working heart rate (HR) is important when working in hot temperatures. a fast, thready pulse or a slow, weak pulse are also signs something is not right.

Know your dogs resting temperature and working temperature. Not all dogs will run at the same temp, your dog may run higher or lower than anyone else, but if you don't know whats normal, you won't know when something is wrong.

If your dog has a rectal temperature higher than 1 degree over its normal working temp, the dog should be rested and cooled until a normal temp has been reached, the dog is properly hydrated, rested and ready for work.

If you think your dog is having a heat related issue, take a rectal temp. This takes moments and can help you avoid the condition worsening. 

Cooling your dog: NEVER use ice water or even cold water (even to drink) to cool down your dog. Instead, use tepid or room temperature water. Depending on how hot your dog is, you can pour the water over the dog and use a fan (if available) focusing on the pads of the feet, the inguinal (inner thigh for male and female... testicle area for males) and neck (jugular area). Dogs do not have sweat glands remember and those areas have the largest blood vessels that when cooled will help the dogs internal temperature decrease. Take the temp every 5 minutes while cooling is going on and get your K9 to a vet ASAP. 

Stop all cooling measure when the dogs rectal temp reaches 103.5, dry the dog off and continue to monitor the dogs temperature every 10 minutes to make sure that the dog does not become hypo-thermic (too cool). The dogs body will continue to cool on its own, you do not want the dogs temperature to drop below 100 degree F. If this happens, wrap the dog in blankets and get the dog to the vet ASAP. 

Dogs can take on various symptoms of hyperthermia, from excessive panting, drooling and foaming at the mouth, to aggitation, barking, muscle tremors (ataxia) breathing difficulties, collapse, seizures, diarrhea, lethargy and ultimatley death. Heat stroke is not something to play around with, take measures to cool your dog down while en route to the vet.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Thank you Renee for this post, it should be a sticky!


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

Agreed, this should be a sticky. There is a YouTube clip on the first page of the thread below that shows an excellent response by a handler and a vet clinic for an overheated K9.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/current-dog-affairs/163516-another-police-dog-dies.html


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Renee, can I copy that to our club's page?


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

Absolutely copy it!! One of our dogs in Afghanistan got a little overheated yesterday and this prompted me to get my friend to write this up for me. I am sending it everywhere and shipping rectal thermometers overseas


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Thanks!
Temperature of 100 degrees and high humidity tomorrow.


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## Daisy (Jan 4, 2009)

Thanks for posting! We actually quit training for the summer b.c my dog got overheated. After her bitework, she became wobbly on her legs and was panting heavily. We were sitting down after working, and I noticed something wasn't right with her, so stood up to take her for a walk, and she could hardly stand. Everyone rushed over, and we cooled her down with water on her paws and abdomen area, and after she was ok, let her drink a little. But I quit. She's an indoor dog, not acclimated to this kind of heat, and our club practices from about 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and usually the bite work is at high noon!


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

us too


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Sadly 'working dogs' can't quit....
Though our training is not mandatory as a SAR or police K9 would be when needed in an urgent situation, we did cancel 2 weeks ago due to heat, but the heat hasn't let up so training went on the past 2 weekends. There is a Rottie in our group that I'm concerned with, more than the GSD's and Malinois. He pants and drools with gusto.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Thanks for the reminder; I know it is more brutal there than here this summer but everywhere is hot.

I carry a baby rectal thermometer you can buy that is digital and has a flexible tip and a box of probe covers. Always in the outside pocket of the pack. Very easy to insert and no fear of it breaking off.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

We canceled evening training and kept mornings. Luckily, we have some shade around blind six, and we have a nice water hose and baby pool, and club members and a TD that watch the dogs pretty carefully.

I love training, but will not put my dog at risk. So if it is too hot, he stays put, "working dog" or not.
Working K9's may not have that luxury.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My sister lives about 2 blocks from our training field and I took Karlo over there a few weeks back for a cool off in the hose. But then I think his wet coat added to his discomfort, even with a fan on him. I'm glad(in a way) that I didn't train the past couple weekends due to a mission trip I was on. I really went thru withdrawals however missing it. 
Then I read on FB that some crazy pulled a knife on the group while they were tracking. Had to call the authorities to get him contained. A baby Rottie was the only dog out at the time and the guy was on an agenda to kill all the pitbulls in the world


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

onyx'girl said:


> But then I think his wet coat added to his discomfort, even with a fan on him.


Baby pool works great because only the bottom part gets wet. I, also, think dogs are more uncomfortable when soaked on the back.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

Ahhh, what does someone living in South Texas know about heat, ha ha. I have a drug dog class in session. The heat has been brutal. You really have to keep an eye on the dogs while working.

DFrost


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

It is awful here this year. Temperatures over the norm. Just not good.....


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Yeah I am doing a shipping temperature study (measuring temps to which boxes are exposed) for work and my target was Arizona ground shipments but this year, Texas may truly be the worst case. Historically, Arizona is usually hotter than Texas. 

This year we had no difficulty when we told the police we really wanted to start an HR search at 6am - by 10 when we were done we were dripping and exhausted. (Battling the kudzu monster as well)


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## scuba_bob (May 5, 2008)

I think that video fits in here.


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

St. Martinville police dog dies in the line of duty | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com


We must be very careful with our k9s in this horrible heat. Sometimes the answer is just no....


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Rest in Peace K9 Hatos....and it wasn't even noon yet.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Found a neat indoor outdoor thermometer for the truck.
I tend to go through one a year but with dogs riding in the camper unit I always want to know the temperature back there while I am driving.

This one has a few things going for it
IT is cheap ($15) at Wally World
Accurite "with how to dress" character

The main thing is you can set an ALARM for when the outside temperature exceeds a certain value AND you can toggle that alarm on or off. Particularly good since I want my eyes on the road not a thermometer. 

The sending unit also has a loop for a string and seems a lot more rugged than the other units I have had. [my outdoor sending units have alway been the source of failure for me)

The how to dress character is a bit of a hoot and I guess common decency will not allow nakid which is how I feel we all need to be dressed THIS summer. I would just as soon have somthing else but I was going for the alarm.
So We will see. Going to give it the test witout the dog first.


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

Texas service dog dies from heat exhaustion while assisting deputies



Another one lost. We had a long hot search yesterday . We started at daybreak. Shut it down when it heated up and kept careful watch on the dogs.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Definitely adding a thermometer to my SAR pack!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Good choice and get used to what is a normal working temp so you and your dog are used to it and you learn to read what your dog is like at what temperature. I know when mine *starts* to get overheated there is a change in the sound of his panting.


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

This heat is brutal. I also use Go Doggy from www.k9power.com and water my dogs with Pedialite when they are working.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I am glad we don't have that excruciating heat over here, even the humidity is not all that bad but even in the low 80's it can be dangerous. I guess we just have to get our butts up in the early morning and work when it's still cool and before the heat kicks in or make a lot of breaks and have a lot of water with us. 

By the way, the heat is not only dangerous for the dogs, we, ourselves, should make sure that we stay hydrated and take minerals to us.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

It was in the 90s all day yesterday and we were out in it---temp in truck ranged from 90 to 94 all day. Hydration is critical the whole way around. I would LOVE a day in the low 80s.

Today I am wiped out but the dog bounced out of the truck yesterday evening [we were in the heat from 9am to 6pm ready to go - pretty good for an 8 year old. ]

FANS FANS FANS - that is the main thing to me is keeping the air moving when he is in the truck. And lots of short water breaks when he is out. Always carry water. I am laying in some godog for next year. I have always been doubting on that stuff but I think it is more about metabolic correction (acid/base balance) than electroyltes for dogs.

For me - dried apricots and some nuts along with the water usually go well. Potassium is usually a bigger issue that sodium. Not so fond of the sugar laced stuff....but they are coming out with better human drinks as well I think.


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## ladylaw203 (May 18, 2001)

The reason I am so high on Go Doggy is that I have really seen it work. Pre hydrate and my dogs are just not really thirsty when shut down for a break. 

miserable weather.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

A teammate has a large tub and gave me some the other day and he slurped it right up (I did not have it yesterday). He normally does not want to pre-hydrate with just plain wwater - with the way the summer still is, I may order one ...... not that expensive. Kind of hard to get to mix good (kind of like protein powder) - maybe I am doing something wrong.

I carry water and don't let him drink from the streams (some dogs have picked up giardia plus you don't know what is in some of the water....plus the ranker it is the more he wants to drink it.......tough call.......there is scent tasting but you can see the difference.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

ladylaw203 said:


> The reason I am so high on Go Doggy is that I have really seen it work. Pre hydrate and my dogs are just not really thirsty when shut down for a break.
> 
> miserable weather.


What do you mean by Go Doggy?


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

Mrs.K said:


> What do you mean by Go Doggy?


Ms Ladylaw posted a link. You can visit that link and read about it.

DFrost


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Ah, missed that. Sorry.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Not SAR related but ...

Both officers in the video said, if they had allowed the dogs keep searching the dogs would have KEEP GOING.

I worry about that with our Lure Coursing. I have had to cancel some scheduled dates due to heat but even on days when it seems not so hot, I worry. We had our first incident of heat stroke a couple weeks ago and the dog, a little Rat Terrier mix, was still trying to drag his owner back into the field to run when I told her it was time to let him rest.

As she was walking him towards the kiddie pool we always have up he pulled and pulled towards the field (where the course is) - right up until the moment his eyes rolled back and he started seizing.

His temp was 106.8. Luckily we were able to get his temp down very quickly and he's no worse for the incident (I saw and ran him Sunday).

You *CANNOT* always rely on your dog to tell you when they've had enough - especially with a highly driven dog!

Thanks for posting the write-up, Renee!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Dogs can also overheat swimming!!!! And you are right that a highly driven dog will go until they drop. You have to force rest breaks. I break my dog every 20-30 minute in the real heat for 5-10 minutes in the shade.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I think this is a good link! Talks about aerobic conditioning in the heat as opposed to anearobic....

Thinking forward with Beau. He did well on a recent warm day in the heat. I keep him outside but don't do enough aerobic because I figured well, too young for roadwork. Maybe not? No push this summer since he won't be operational until next summer but what do you think? 

They also recommended the Go Dog Supplement and higher fat diet and had a reasonable (to me) excercise frequency. I am not going to jog but was thinking of buying a clunker bike soon for roadwork.

Beat the Heat - Bearded Collie Club of America


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Does anybody know of a homemade electrolyte supplement that I could make for Aiden for hot training days? I can buy Pedialtye and put that in the water, but I was wondering about other options. 

Whats an apporpriate Pedialyte to water ratio?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I know several who use the K9 Go Dog and am going to order some. That and start getting Beau used to getting "probed"

What they need for excercise replenishment in the heat is different than dehydration through water losses. Elite K9 also has a couple of products and I don't want to use something deveoped for humans (who loose a lot of electrolytes through sweatng) for dogs who don't. Too much in the way of eletrolytes could backifre.


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## Beau (Feb 12, 2012)

Nancy, thanks for pulling this thread out...I hadn't seen it before. Lots of great information, even for those of us with just companion/pet dogs. Given the summer forecast, we may need a lot of this type of information going forward.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

This weekend is supposed to be Brutal. Beau has been outside all day and it is about 95 out there with no signs of heat stress. (He is in the shade and has his pool available) He is chlling out, not running around but alert and not panting. We have team training tongiht and it will be around 90 when we get started. 

As much as I hate having the him outside all day, I do think it really makes a difference in his heat tolerance.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

onyx'girl said:


> Sadly 'working dogs' can't quit....
> Though our training is not mandatory as a SAR or police K9 would be when needed in an urgent situation, we did cancel 2 weeks ago due to heat, but the heat hasn't let up so training went on the past 2 weekends. There is a Rottie in our group that I'm concerned with, more than the GSD's and Malinois. He pants and drools with gusto.


Would a Chilly Dog vest work ?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

The reviews I have seen are that, for working, the added weight offsets the cooling effect while working but they are good for cooling off during down time. But there are lots of other ways you can cool the dog down while not working - As we speak my deep cycle battery is on the charger for tonight to make sure my fans have full juice for training and I will pick up a bag of ice (not to use ice water on a dog but to have some cool to mix with warm if needed) and we are training near a river....


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## Elektra2167 (Jun 18, 2012)

We just finished a tracking / trailing seminar. Ran 1500 to 2200 on Fri. Urban tracks run at 1630 and 1730 at 105 degrees, also rural tracks at 2030 and 2130 at 100 degrees. We had fans, lots of cool water, and reflector blankets for the vehicles, and Sat. we had the kiddie pool set up, Sun. we were near the lake. Sat. we went from 0830 to 2000 with a break at 1300 to 1700. Last morning session track was about 104, 105 degrees with a heat index of 120. Evening tracks were still around 100 degrees. Sun we went from 0830 to 1400. 

All the dogs did well, yes they were hot, but no one got stressed, and all worked wonderfully and made large improvements through the weekend. Two of the dogs had cool vests for recovery, and they really did seem to help them. Some people say it doesn't make a difference in their dog, but the 2 GSDs that had them were in their crates not even panting, so I would say it helped for them. Everyone in a sense had pre-acclimated their dogs, but we haven't had temps quite like that yet, so it was still rough.

Anyway, they all got to see that their dogs can be very effective in the heat, and they learned how to keep their dogs comfortable in pretty extreme conditions. Everyone had fun and stayed safe


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

So they did not work in them or did they? I had head about the cooling but Beau, God Bless, thinks a water bowl in his crate is a tiny swimming pool and have managed to remove an ID tag from his collar (the clip was bent to pieces ) I can only imagine what he would do to one.


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## Elektra2167 (Jun 18, 2012)

No, the dogs did not work in the coolvests. I think they might work ok for urban tracking, but they did NOT work well in the field for rural / wooded activities of any kind. Stuff got caught up under them, etc. It didn't seem to bother the movement of the dogs, but still, we decided they work better for recovery. We are going to try them for boat work. I think they will be fine for that as well. It gets so hot out there on the water, so we are hoping they will keep the dogs a little more comfortable. We are going to try that this weekend.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Report on how it goes. I have one of those aluminet dog vests someone sent me to try and I thought about that on the boat.......but I got him a harness (champion seat belt) and I was just going to use the harness on the boat. (But I could put the aluminet over the harness) I understand the phase change vests do float. Oh the aluminet has same problems in woods as you can imagine but it does get so hot on a boat.

Chillybuddy Cooling Vest

I think it was one of these.........going to dig it out.

Mostly we seem to wind up on the water in the early evening when they start pulling out the divers or in the morning before they dive which is real nice scentwise. .......... but sometimes it is mid-day. Ick.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I just bought a new wireless thermometer at Cabela's. It is a Lacrosse model 9009 wireless station. Only $9.99. I am impressed. It claims it will read a sensor 260 feet away. I put the send in my truck between two aluminum dog boxes. The truck is in the front of my house. My office is in the back in the walk-out basement. So the signal has to get through my dog boxes, truck and house....and it IS!

For SAR it is good if dog is in vehicle and you are at basecamp or someone is watching several dogs. Receiver fills palm of hand so a bit big to carry around but the size display is large; easy to read while driving if you carry a dog in the back of a vehicle like me.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

Hahaha... when I started reading I had a vision of a "dog mounted" wireless thermometer LOL.

I think I've done too many dismounted patrols 

David Winners


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Actually...now that you mention.....I just saw this this am but I am not sure I want a sensor in my dog. A passive microchip is one thing but RFID that is talking to another device? Nah. I carry a thermometer and watch my dog. Beau is pretty good about taking a break when he is hot.

http://blueforcedev.com/solutions/k9-platform/

Technology, Vigilance Save K9 and SAR Dogs From Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke or Death

Beau does NOT ride in an AC truck nor does he rest in the AC while working. He is outside during the summer though he does come in the evening and make a pest of himself in my office.....It is true, though, a lot of police dogs are in a running vehicle with AC going while they are not deployed. We constantly have to remind people not to park their vehicles next to ours because the hot exhaust gets sucked up by our fans. I will have to take some pictures of my set up today.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

What will they think of next... and I was just goofing LOL

Imagine the toys we will be able to buy in 10 years Nancy.

I agree that acclimatization and cardiorespiratory fitness play a huge part in how well a dog handles the heat.


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## Darth_Ariel (Jun 20, 2013)

It's not necessarily during working itself that I have an issue with heat, but the down time and time during training where each dog is in their own vehicle has me with some heat issues. 
I'm currently in a 2 door car, so during these times Vader is all but roasting with just the windows down. 
Any gadgets for keeping them cool when they're in the vehicles?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

The folks I know with cars swear by ALUMINET........that and fans. Keep the air moving. 

The whole heat issue is one reason I moved to a truck with a camper shell.


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## Darth_Ariel (Jun 20, 2013)

I'm absolutely bookmarking the Aluminet thank you! I think I'm going to try and rig some easy fan set up even if I have to put small ones on the dash to keep it moving toward the back. 

Outside temps were fine but I was in and out of the car 50 times trying to find a way to get him cooler.


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## slade (Jan 14, 2008)

Any suggestions for battery-operated fans? Hoping to find a rechargable one that's reasonable.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I use the O2 cool, snip the line to the AC adapter, crimp on connectors, and connect to a 12 volt deep cycle battery.. they can be had for a better price when the big box stores doe seasonal changes outs -- I got mine for $5 each and stocked up.

Amazon.com: 12 volt 18 Ah Rechargeable Battery: Home Improvement

Amazon.com - 10" BATTERY OPERATED INDOOR/OUTDOOR FAN with ADAPTER - Electric Household Tabletop Fans

I keep it charged with this..just run a cord out to my car.

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger: Home Improvement

I do know some folks who have the Ryobi fans you can get at Home Depot etc. but they have not been as impressed with the output and length of time the battery lasts.

Ryobi One Plus Portable Fan-P3310 at The Home Depot


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Keep an eye open for this webinar that will be offered once a month. I missed the event but saw some notes someone typed up from it. They said they would be notifying next event....it is the following page on facebook (won't link but this is the name of the group)

Veterinary Tactical Group


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I've been looking for power sources to run crate fans and the power station looked really good(great!) compared to running a marine batter for the same cost. 
My husband frequents NAPA and gets wholesale pricing on most everything due to his machine shop business.
So he brought me home this and I'll test it out this weekend:
CED2976-2ISN RFDPPJS2976DLX Portable Power Source/Mini Jump Starter


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## slade (Jan 14, 2008)

Thanks for all of the info! Still looking into the fans...


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