When a hot dog is a bad thing: Heat stroke help
A dog with heat stroke? Sounds like all you need to do is let them cool down for a while. Actually, its a lot more serious than that and can be fatal. And by the time its detected, it could be too late.
Signs to look for
What is heat stroke? Its the syndrome of decline in mental status and damage to internal organs that happens when the body temperature rises too high.
A dog suffering from heatstroke will often pant rapidly, drool, vomit, and become weak or mentally un-responsive.
Body temperatures of 105-106, if sustained, have been reported to cause permanent organ damage, and if body temperature rises to 109 direct thermal damage to internal organs occurs quickly. This can begin a cascade of organ malfunctions that is fatal.
Dogs cant sweat it
You are probably aware that dogs have a different method of cooling themselves than we do.
Unlike humans they do not perspire. When our body temperature rises a mere 1/10 of a degree, we begin to perspire to cool ourselves.
Our canine friends only perspire minimally from the pads of their feet and from the tip of their nose. The only meaningful way they actively cool themselves is by evaporating water from the inside of their noses and mouths by panting.
While this is adequate under most circumstances, it is not as efficient as perspiring, and therefore puts dogs at risk during prolonged exposure to hot weather.
Dogs with shorter noses and mouths (pugs, bulldogs, and so on) are at the greatest risk because, in part, of the smaller surface area inside their noses and mouths from which to evaporate water when panting.
One of the tragic aspects of this condition is that dogs that are active and healthy, and even acclimated to exercising in hot weather, can still become stricken unexpectedly when exposed to hot temperatures.
What you can do
Please do not be lulled into a sense of security about your dogs ability to handle hot weather based on their past successful outings on hot days.
There is no precise outdoor temperature above which heatstroke can be predicted to occur. Your best guide is common sense: if its a hot day for you then its an even hotter day for your furry friend who cant sweat.
The most tragic example of heat stroke is when a dog is inadvertently left outdoors on a hot day without adequate shade and water, or is left in an enclosed area (a garage, or a car) without adequate ventilation.
Temperatures inside a parked car rise quickly to over 100 degrees in the sun. Even with the windows partly down. And that car that is parked in the shade right now may not be in the shade soon.
There is only one intelligent piece of advice here: never, ever, ever, leave your dog in a parked car.
What can happen to a dog suffering from heat stroke?
Just for starters, how about
: liver failure, kidney failure, brain damage, muscle damage, damage to blood vessels throughout the body, massive intestinal hemorrhaging, blood clotting crises, and death.
On the one hand, I dont want to scare everyone into locking your dog indoors all summer, but on the other hand I want to scare you enough to be conscious of this condition any time you take you dog outdoors for any extended period of time in the next few months.
What should you do to avoid heat stroke? If you must take your dog out during the heat of the day, be sure they are well hydrated before hand.
Be sure they have had plenty of opportunity to drink before going out, and have water supplies for them while you are out and carry a spray bottle so you can mist them in the face frequently.
What if you think your dog may be suffering from heat stroke? Immediately get them out of the sun and to a veterinary office adept at handling emergencies.
If possible, douse them with cool (not cold) water. Place a fan in front of them.
Applying cold packs in a dogs groin area and under the legs will help cool the blood that is returning from the limbs on its way back to the interior of a dogs body.
However, soaking them completely in very cold water is not recommended for fear that this would cause the blood vessels throughout a dogs skin to constrict and trap the heat inside the body core.
Keep safe and cool this summer. Walk your dog in the early morning or evening, be sure they have plenty of shade, water, and ventilation if they are outside during the day, and never ever leave them in a parked car.
Dr. Franklin Utchen has been practicing veterinary medicine in San Ramon since 1989 and currently co-owns Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care. His special interests include Orthopedic and Soft Tissue Surgery, Internal Medicine, Emergency/Critical Care, Dentistry, and Anesthesiology/Pain Management.
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