Sick from the sun?

[steelergrl]

I know it may be a crazy question, but can dogs get sick if they're in the sun for awhile? My dog loves laying out in the sun when we go to my parents house. She goes on the back deck and just sprawls out. However, the last 2 weeks she has gotten sick (throwing up) the next day. We live in Florida and it has been in the 80's both times.
The first time it happened, we found a dead lizard in my parent's house so think she may have gotten into that. However, this past weekend I watched her like a hawk and know that she didn't get into anything. So my question is, can she get sick from the heat/sun? I wanted to take her on our boat with us, but that may be out of the question..

[Freedom]

Quite possible to be from the sun/heat. You mentioned the temperature, I don't know if the humidity is high there yet? Factor that in as well. You may just need to steer her to a shady spot to lie out.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I am also in Florida(central, between Daytona Beach and Orlando) and it's hot enough to make anybody sick if they stay out long enough. It could get dangerous if she gets way too hot. I would think she would get sick right away though and not necessarily on the next day. I've heard of cases where the dogs go into hyperthermia and have to hosed down, etc. It might be the lizard making her sick too. Especially if it's one of those blue ones. You might want to call the vet if this continues. Best of luck to you.

Sandie: the humidity isn't that bad yet but the sun and heat will scorch you. Every year it gets hotter and hotter here it seems.

[buttercup132]

It was really hot here for awhile (like summer weather) and my dogs were outside all day (and the cats) they had the option to come in, they all use the cat door and they all had water but one of the cats kept throwing up and one of the dogs had the runs which I think both were caused from being outside in the sun all day.

[Jessika]

They could be overheating, which is VERY serious and it CAN kill them.

So please don't leave them out unsupervised without shade and/or water and don't leave them out for hours at a time.

[steelergrl]

There is shade out there and when she gets hot she will move into the shade. There is always water out there with her too. She is usually only outside for about an hour (the longest) before coming back in.
I really think my dog just has a sensitive stomach. She will be fine one minute and hacking the next. I know she doesn't feel good when she will not eat her treat and she eats blades of grass.
I hate to not let her go outside because she loves to lay out in the sun, but I may only let her our for 20 minutes or so at a time.
Thank you everyone for your advice.

[Jessika]

There is shade out there and when she gets hot she will move into the shade. There is always water out there with her too. She is usually only outside for about an hour (the longest) before coming back in.
I really think my dog just has a sensitive stomach. She will be fine one minute and hacking the next. I know she doesn't feel good when she will not eat her treat and she eats blades of grass.
I hate to not let her go outside because she loves to lay out in the sun, but I may only let her our for 20 minutes or so at a time.
Thank you everyone for your advice.

Yeah, sometimes an hour at once is just too much for some dogs. Try 15 or 20 minutes at a time, allowing her to come indoors and cool off before going back out again. Heat stroke can be VERY serious and sudden and very little can be done, so taking proper precautions may just possibly save a life.

Here is a pretty good article I found on canine heat stroke; it covers signs, symptoms, preventions and what to do if you suspect heat stroke!

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

EDIT: Also, it is a myth that dogs and cats eat grass when they are feeling ill. They eat grass just to eat it

[steelergrl]

Now I don't think her throwing up is from too much sun. This weekend Stitch did not go to my parents, so she didn't spend a lot of time in the sun. However, yesterday I came home to a sick dog again. She would not eat her treat after our walk and she threw up sometime during the day when we were gone. These episodes only seem to happen on Mondays- could it be separation anxiety from being left alone after being with us all weekend? The rest of the week she is fine. My dog is crazy (but I wouldn't trade her for the world).

[Jessika]

Has anything changed diet-wise? Did she get a new treat or maybe table scraps? Have you changed her flavor of dog food?

I have never heard of vomiting as a symptom of separation anxiety... usually they are just really destructive to the house or themselves.

To be honest, I would bring her to the vet if you can rule out ANY possibility of her getting into ANY foreign substances. Is your trashcan inaccessible? Do you have any potted plants inside? Do you have any cats and an accessible litter box she can get into? My dogs would be sick for days at a time every now and then and I couldn't figure out why until I caught them eating kitty poo... then it all made sense.

But bottom line... if this persists it could be something more serious, or it could just be nothing at all, but bottom line, I would rather be safe than sorry and take her to the vet!!!