Heat Stroke in Dogs: Recognition and Prevention

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The combination of heat and humidity together can be deadly. A well-conditioned dog in the dryer heat of the southwest may be better able to tolerate higher temps than an out-of-shape dog in the Mid-Atlantic region with lower temps but higher humidity.

Know Your Breed

A sub-Saharan type dog (thin skinned, lean body mass, long nose) will be more heat tolerant than a shaggy, stocky British Island type dog. Dogs with long noses are far more heat tolerant than the flatter faced breeds because part of the cooling off mechanism is to cool hot air as it enters the nasal passages before it enters the lungs.

Dogs with large, erect ears (Pharaoh hound) have a large surface area with which to release heat, so you would expect better heat tolerance from this type of dog than from a stocky Bull Terrier. Large bulky muscles, heavy coats and heavy body mass (as well as obesity) are going to increase heat risk.

Know Their Fitness

Lack of fitness will increase heat risk. Pre-existing disease will increase heat risk–especially heart problems, elongated soft palates, bronchial conditions and laryngeal paralysis. (Dogs with chronic bronchial disease can run temps of as high as 103 indoors in an air conditioned room with no other activity other than breathing…) A sudden jump in heat and humidity (it has been in the mid 80’s and all of the sudden it goes to 100 for a few days) makes it harder to acclimate.

A dog that stays indoors (in air conditioning) most of the time and competes outside on the weekends is at increased risk as well. Intense physical activity (such as running for lure coursing or agility) is going to generate more heat than a slower pace event (such as obedience). So know your breed type, be honest about your dog’s level of fitness, and recognize that 85 degrees on a balmy April afternoon may be totally different from 85 on a muggy August day when the night time temps never drop below 75 for days on end.

Recognition of the Signs of Heat Exhaustion/Stroke

Warning signs:

  1. A normally active dog flops down on trail or refuses to get up during a change in activity.
  2. Excessive panting with what I call “bologna tongue”–the tongue comes so far out of the mouth that it flattens and widens and curls up at the end, or a tongue that is hanging out of the side of the mouth.
  3. Intense “brick” red color to the insides of ears and mouth. Gum color that is lavender to blue is a very bad sign, indicating cyanosis, and an inability to oxygenate the blood.
  4. Weakness in the legs (hence the “flopping” down), a staggering or drunk-like gait.
  5. “Glassy” eyes–a sense that mental function is fading in and out.
  6. Collapse followed by runny diarrhea ( your dog is going into shock).

The only accurate way to measure a dog’s temperature is with a rectal thermometer!

A body temperature of 103.5 with a dog showing signs of exhaustion is grounds for stopping further activity and taking steps towards cooling down the dog before you seek veterinary care. Any dog exhibiting signs of heat stroke should be examined by a veterinarian, even if it seems to be responding to cooling measures. Organ failure and bleeding disorders can occur even after the dog may appear to have recovered. The mortality rate in dogs suffering from heat stroke can be as high as 50%. The faster you can get your dog to the vet, the better the outcome!

Cooling down a hot dog

Cool water (not cold, not ice) concentrating on the back of the head (where the brainstem is), on the large veins in the neck and between the hind legs–these areas have large superficial veins that will continue to pump hot blood past your cooling water and return cooler blood to the main part of the body.

Alcohol (isopropyl) repeatedly applied to the foot pads will quickly evaporate for a cooling action.

Bring the dog indoors and immerse the entire dog in a cool (not cold) bath. Avoid leaving in too long–it is possible to drive the temperature down too low and send your dog spiraling in the other direction—I usually continue cooling down until the body temp is less than 104 but not below 103. If you are outside and trying to cool your dog, avoid wetting the entire dog as this can trap heat in the coat. If you are out hiking, and you have access to water, then stand the dog in a running stream (submerge up to chest level if deep enough). Cold wet towels around the neck and in the groin area can also help if there is not enough water available to thoroughly wet the dog, or if you have wet it but now are looking to transport it for further treatment. Starting cooling actions on the way to the veterinarian has shown to improve survival rates.

Preventing Heatstroke

  1. Pay attention to your dog’s fitness, breed and coat type as well as the ambient temperature and humidity. Remember that just because you can jog at noon in 90 degree weather doesn’t mean your dog can!
  2. Take lots of breaks during outdoor activities, and seek shade and water. Resist the idea of taking your dog to outdoor events on asphalt where the heat radiates up off the paved area.
  3. Some people shave the bellies of working dogs with long coats much like a “trace” clip on a horse in winter. The removal of belly hair allows for a greater degree of cooling but the bulk of the coat is still present (which is a natural insulator against both heat and cold). 
  4. Invest in cooling pads and bandanas to cool your dog down on hot days between outdoor activities.

Remember

Your dog’s body temperature can increase long after the activity has ceased and you are now back in a cooler environment, so if he is not responding to a cooler environment, recheck that temperature.

Temperatures near/greater than 106 are a true emergency and can result in brain damage as well as vascular collapse and shock. The vast majority of dogs make it if caught quickly and the temperature is reduced, but some dogs can end up with permanent organ damage.

The shorter-faced breeds of dogs are at particular risk for heatstroke because a large part of the cooling action via panting comes from the passage of hot air through the nasal/mouth passages before entering the lungs and the shorter faced dogs cannot cool this air as efficiently as a dog with a longer snout. I had a client whose pug heat-stroked and died in less than 15 minutes outside on a hot humid day–his owner simply put him out in the yard for a few minutes.

The most important thing you need to know about heatstroke is to prevent it in the first place.


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