Sep 08 2006 06:35 pm
Dogs and Hot Weather
My dog, Rags, is part Jack Russel Terrier.While we were at Medina Lake over Labor Day, I helped a dog that was suffering from heat prostration. It was a big beautiful black lab and I thought we were going to lose him! The owners had taken two dogs hiking (a golden retriever and the lab). It was close to 100 degrees and they did not take water on the hike. They barely got the black lab to the activity center. The golden was fine.
What you may do for heat prostration in dogs:
- give them tepid (NOT COLD) water to drink
- wet the dog down with tepid (NOT COLD) water
- put a fan on the dog so evaporation will help cool the dog
- give the dog a little salt in case his electrolytes are wacky
- take the dog to a vet as soon as you are able
Please share this post with your fellow dog lovers. If they are going to go hiking with dogs, the dogs need water too. The best way to handle this is to freeze a bottle of water and give the dog some as it melts. Be aware of how your dog breathes and pants.
Signs of heat prostration are rapid panting, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. Death can occur within 20 minutes, so you do not have much time to wonder if it is heat stroke or not. After the episode, I researched heat prostration in dogs and found some good information:
Heat stroke is most common in the large breeds and in dogs with short noses. . . We have seen heat stroke in dogs who were swimming or who were merely excited but not obviously exercising hard. . .
For emergency treatment:
Any time that heat stroke is suspected it is best to get an immediate rectal temperature reading and to begin treatment immediately if the body temperature is over 106 degrees Fahrenheit or to stop all activity and move indoors if the temperature is less than this but elevated above 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit are a critical emergency, because organ damage can occur at this temperature and at higher temperatures.
What do you do if you cannot get the animal to a veterinarian? Here is the treatment a vet might use. You would have to improvise.
Treatment consists of cool water (not cold water) bathes or rinses. The veterinarian may want to use cool water enemas, cool water gastric lavage (rinsing of the stomach), corticosteroids and specialized intravenous fluid therapy using colloids to maintain blood pressure.
So you would need a rectal thermometer for sure and perhaps an enema bag and some way to push fluids into the dog, either IV or lavage. Scary thinking about it? What if it happens?
I think the best action in this case would be proaction.
- Do not take your dog walking in the heat of the day.
- Carry water for yourself and your dog.
- If you dog is displaying one or more symptoms of heat prostration, take the dog inside or out of direct sun, take a rectal temperature, and cool the dog with water.
- Take the dog to the vet, the sooner the better.
Be prepared to help you dog and yourself during the dog days of summer.
Tags: dog heat prostration, treating dog heat prostration, dog heat exhaustion, dog heat stroke, carry water hiking
Posted by CyberCelt under Uncategorized
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