Summer is upon us & our animals!

Here is an excerpt from this week’s Vet Advantage news with bold for emphasis:

…Heatstroke occurs when the pet’s natural defense system cannot handle the heat building up inside his body. Usually, a dog handles heat through respiratory measures such as panting. When the dog cannot do so, his body will overheat. Pet owners need to be aware that although there are measures they can take to prevent heatstroke, it can occur at any time of the day to any breed of dog. Signs and symptoms of heat stroke include excessive panting, profuse salivation, glazed eyes, and anxiousness, collapsing and vomiting. Experts recommended pet owners keep pets inside on hot days, always have water available, keep pets well groomed and maintain a healthy weight. If pet owners see signs of heat stroke they should “try to cool down the animal by soaking your pet with towels and water and placing the pet in front of a fan, if possible. Then contact your veterinarian immediately. It is not recommended to use ice or ice cold water because this may lead to cooling the body too quickly.”

Listed above are just possible signs and symptoms. Your dog might express some, one or none of those. Other things to watch for are: rapid or irregular pulse, rapid or irregular breathing rate, not responding to your commands or otherwise appearing confused, refusal to take water or food, excessively dark (or excessively white) gums, whining, frothing at the mouth, & dilated pupils.

It is NOT recommended, however, to shave your long-haired dog because his natural coat is actually a defense mechanism against extreme heat. The skin actually stays cooler and is protected against the sun rays. Keep your dog’s coat maintainable and clean above all.

Yes, dogs can get sunburned!

Dogs do not have sweat glands like people do! In addition to panting, they lose some heat through their ears and through their paws (<-where a bit of sweating occurs).

• Soaking their paws or letting them stand in a pool of water helps as does temporarily turning your dogs ears inside out -some dogs have ears & temperaments that are more conducive to doing this, of course!
• A great keep cool tip is to wet your dog’s favorite bandana (you know s/he has one!), and put it in the freezer until it’s nice & cold and then tie it around his neck.
• Let your dog lay on a cold, wet towel so that the groin and abdomen area is cooled. Putting a towel over him will actually impede the heat from dissipating.

Dogs who are especially susceptible to heat issues include the elderly, obese and/or brachycephalic (<-dogs with flat faces and shortened noses like Boxers & Pugs, for instance) as well as dogs who have chronic diseases or have recently undergone surgery or medical procedures.

Another thing NOT to do is to treat a possible heat issue or heat stroke on your own. Seek veterinarian attention as this is a medical emergency! Better to be safe than sorry.

And Do NOT try the “cold plunge” technique either of throwing a dog into a pool or water. As stated above with regards to using cold water or ice, this could send your dog’s body into SHOCK.

Most of us know that dogs should NOT be kept in parked cars during the daytime EVEN WITH the windows cracked. And yet, this is exactly what I saw this weekend in SoCal (when we actually had temps into the 80’s for the 1st time in a long time). Therefore, if this post was nothing new to you, I’m thrilled! Please pass it on, though, because it is a valuable message worth repeating.

What are YOUR special tips for beating the heat with the pets?

(pic source: Gather.com)