Office of Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports
FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-87/8
Title and Subtitle: A temperature/humidity tolerance index for transporting Beagle dogs in hot weather.
Report Date: November 1987
Authors: Hanneman GD, Sershon JL.
Abstract: Male beagle dogs were subjected to various hot air temperature/humidity combinations in an attempt to develop a safe temperature/humidity index for dogs being transported by aircraft. Only those environments in which all exposed dogs could maintain a rectal temperature less than 108 F during 6 hours of continuous exposure were considered safe. Results from the experiments provided data to formulate an equation used in defining the tolerance index. Increasing the environment's humidity serves as a catalyst in decreasing a dog's tolerance to heat.
In order to offset the effects of an increase in air temperature (starting at 85 F with a 90 percent relative humidity), relative humidity would need to be decreased by 4 percent for every 1 F rise in temperature. Changes in rectal temperature and behavior (barking and excessive movement) in relation to the exposure environment are presented and discussed.
Key Words: hot weather, heat tolerance, aircraft, atmospheric temperature, body temperature, catalysts, dogs, humidity, males, rectum, safety, temperature, heat stress(physiology), air transportation, exposure(physiology).
No. of Pages: 19
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-87/8
Title and Subtitle: A temperature/humidity tolerance index for transporting Beagle dogs in hot weather.
Report Date: November 1987
Authors: Hanneman GD, Sershon JL.
Abstract: Male beagle dogs were subjected to various hot air temperature/humidity combinations in an attempt to develop a safe temperature/humidity index for dogs being transported by aircraft. Only those environments in which all exposed dogs could maintain a rectal temperature less than 108 F during 6 hours of continuous exposure were considered safe. Results from the experiments provided data to formulate an equation used in defining the tolerance index. Increasing the environment's humidity serves as a catalyst in decreasing a dog's tolerance to heat.
In order to offset the effects of an increase in air temperature (starting at 85 F with a 90 percent relative humidity), relative humidity would need to be decreased by 4 percent for every 1 F rise in temperature. Changes in rectal temperature and behavior (barking and excessive movement) in relation to the exposure environment are presented and discussed.
Key Words: hot weather, heat tolerance, aircraft, atmospheric temperature, body temperature, catalysts, dogs, humidity, males, rectum, safety, temperature, heat stress(physiology), air transportation, exposure(physiology).
No. of Pages: 19
Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2012