Helpful Tips….by Rhea Cammenga
Summer Pet Safety
Hello, Neighbors!
Last year, during the lake cleanup, one of our furry neighbors was overcome with heat exhaustion. If you’ve ever had it happen to an animal, it’s extremely alarming. Luckily, the parents knew what to do. I’ve had this happen years ago to my first Giant Schnauzer, Zeus, who was running in our back yard (he had a case of the zoomies) late one summer evening. He came in, panting quickly which wasn’t unusual, but soon exhibited weakness and nearly collapsed. I guessed the cause and carried him to the bathtub and ran cool (not cold) water over him and gave him cool water to drink. He quickly returned to normal and we were a little more cautious about extended periods of exercise during the summer.
Rather than taking something straight from the internet, I asked our trusted Vet, Dr. Robert Porter at Conway Veterinary Hospital to give some information on how to help recognize and either avoid or alleviate the symptoms and when to go seek emergency care.
“It is summer in Florida & the temperature is always 85 degrees or higher. As a dog owner, you need to know that your dog can become overheated easily in these temperatures & that can lead to often fatal episodes of heat stroke. What can you as a dog owner do to help reduce the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke with your furry buddy during the summer? It starts with understanding what heat stroke is & how it occurs, then taking into account your dogs breed, health, & fitness level, because these make a real difference in how your pet will react to the high ambient temperatures.
Heatstroke is caused by the inability to dissipate accumulated heat. It is characterized by a core body temperature of 105.8 degrees F (normal temperature is 99 to 102 degrees F) with central nervous system abnormalities. It is the result to exposure to a hot & humid environment or from strenuous physical exercise. Risk factors with heat stroke include obesity, breed and size (increase risk include short-nosed breeds, Golden, Labrador Retrievers and dogs over 35 lbs) and fitness level. Of greatest importance is the environmental temperature & humidity. The higher the temperature & humidity the quicker your pet will overheat.
The most common symptoms of heatstroke can include:
- Disorientation
- Weakness
- Rapid breathing leading to collapse
- Shock
In severe cases we often see
- Bleeding
- Unconsciousness
- Kidney injury
- Coma
- Seizures
- Death
Why are dogs at increased risk of heat stroke? Dogs don’t sweat, so their ability to cool themselves is dependent on other systems. Dogs pant to relieve excessive heat, so increased respiratory effort or panting is critical to your dog’s ability to control body temperature. When high heat & humidity are present, panting is less effective so your pet can overheat quickly. Strenuous activity can result in your pet quickly overheating when the outside temperature is high.
What can you do to protect your pet & reduce the risk of heat stroke? Be smart about outside activity in Florida’s high heat & humidity.
- Don’t take walks or runs during the middle of the day; instead, try to schedule walks or runs for early morning or evening.
- Plan breaks or rest stops for your pet to cool off & drink water during exercise or play.
- If possible wet your pet with water to the skin to allow some evaporative cooling.
- Also consider other types of play. Swimming is a great choice since it helps prevent overheating & also is less traumatic on the joints.
What should you do if your pet is overheated?
If your pet is showing signs of heat exhaustion:
- immediately get your pet into a shaded area,
- wet the coat & paws with cool water and fan to help increase evaporative cooling effect
- Give something cool to drink as dehydration can be a killer.
- Get your pet into an air-conditioned space so that the body temperature will more rapidly come to normal.
- If you pet is lethargic, vomiting, unable to stand or has altered personality, it is critical that you get your pet to a veterinary facility immediately for evaluation & medical care.
Your quick actions may save your pets life.”
Robert A. Porter, D.V.M.
Conway Veterinary Hospital, Inc.
407-851-4752
Our dogs have always loved to be outdoors. We enjoy being outside and letting them play and explore. Having black dogs is a challenge during the heat of the day, so a few months ago, I thrifted a few XXXL Hawaiian style, light-colored, button-down men’s shirts (the most common reaction about our breed of dog is, “They’re HUGE.”) and with the help of my Mom, we fashioned some sun-shade shirts for our boys for a planned keys trip. They were easy to convert to male-dog friendly shirts by shortening the front and adding Velcro in lieu of buttons. The light color reflected the sun off of their dark fur and was easy to keep damp to work with evaporation to help keep them cool. That, along with keeping them hydrated, helps lessen the effects of the heat.
So let your furkids have fun and be safe this summer. Woof!
