The Dangers of Summer
In memory of Limo 10.28.2008-7.6.2012
Imagine a beautiful warm summer day, sunny, and a bit humid. It had been a long winter so everyone, including the pets, is anxious to get outside and play. There is a slight breeze but it’s early in the day so it hasn’t gotten too hot. You have some errands to run but they won’t take long so you put your furry friend outside to play in a shaded kennel with a bucket of water while you are gone. Unfortunately, your errands take longer than expected and you get stuck at the auto repair shop for a much extended time. By the time you get home many hours later it is really hot and humid outside and the shady spots that were in your yard are no longer there. You finally get home to find your poor pet lying on his side, struggling to breathe, and barely responding to you. This is not just a sad story, it is a true story. This unfortunate tale happened to one of our employees a few years ago. This is heat stroke (or heat exhaustion if caught in the very early stages) and the outcome can be deadly.
Heatstroke results from a highly elevated body temperature of 104.9oF – 109.4oF (normal temp in a canine is 101O – 102o). Animals that are overweight, have short nosed faces, large breed dogs, pets with deep barrel chests, heart disease, airway obstructions, collapsing trachea, or previous exposure to heatstroke are at increased risk of developing it (so actually, any dog is at risk). Lack of shade, lack of water on humid days, and over activity are contributing factors to heatstroke. If you suspect you pet has heatstroke it is an emergency, please call your vet right away. As body temperature rises the body tries to compensate by increasing panting (dogs do not sweat and panting is how they try to cool themselves) which cannot complete with the bodies efforts to cool itself which then can lead to and increased heart rate and high blood pressure. As the body continues to attempt to overcome the hyperthermia (increased body temp) the heart rate will decrease from extreme cardiac output and blood flow will decrease causing damage to the organs. This decrease in blood flow reduces oxygen flow which then damages the brain cells too resulting in altered levels of consciousness, in coordination, seizures, blood clots, and death. What to look for with heat stroke:
- Excessive panting
- Collapse
- Vomiting
- Hypersalivation
- Trouble breathing
- Lethargy
- Seizure
- Diarrhea
Again, heatstroke is an emergent condition and should be seen by a veterinarian before full body damage occurs. The body temperature needs to be reduced in a timely manner to return proper blood flow to the body by IV fluids, cooling soaks, cold packs placed in strategic positions, massaging the skin to increase peripheral circulation, and very close monitoring.
Car related heatstroke is especially deadly because it can happen very fast. On a seventy degree day it only takes 15 minutes for a car to heat up to over 100 degrees, the warmer the day the faster the increase. Air does not flow into parked cars at any rate that would be sufficient to offset the heat. Consider how hot it gets at a stop light when you have the windows down and no air conditioning on, now imagine rolling your windows up to only a crack opening. It is not safe, and essentially will cook your pet.
This trauma can be prevented. When the weather becomes warm or humidity is high keep your pets in the air conditioning or near fans, make sure they have plenty of water at all times, if they are in the yard ensure lots of shady areas to rest, do not encourage any over activity (if you have working dogs or very active dogs make sure they rest for at least 30 minutes between activities), and never leave a pet in a car (whether the windows are cracked or not) while you are not in it also. Heatstroke is scary and can occur quickly, check on your pets frequently. If it is too warm for you, it is too warm for your pet. Please take extra consideration during these warm months to keep all your furry pets safe and to avoid any unnecessary heart break.