Doctor’s Notes: Summer Heat is Hard on Pets

You’re sitting in an unventilated car, unable to roll down the windows or open the car door. It’s 90 degrees outside, and around 120 degrees in the car…and you’re wearing a fur coat. Best case scenario finds you panting. Worst case finds you staggering with your heart racing, until you collapse into a coma.

Leaving your animal in a hot car is one of the most common causes of heat stroke in pets. Excess activity in the heat of the day and inadequate water are also causes. Dogs and cats are unable to sweat to cool themselves as humans do. They must pant to cool off, and can only sweat through their foot pads. Heat exhaustion is the first stage, and usually all you as an owner will see is excessive panting. The next, and more deadly stage, is heatstroke. Signs of heatstroke include (but are not limited to): body temperatures of 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, coma and death. Short-nosed breeds (like bulldogs, pugs, and boxers), large heavy-coated breeds (like huskies and chows), and dogs with heart or respiratory problems are at higher risk for heat stroke. Older pets, puppies and kittens, and obese pets are also at risk. Dark coated dogs absorb more heat, and get hotter faster, than lighter coated breeds.

As a rule of thumb, pets should drink 15-20 mililiters per pound per day. That means a 10 pound dog needs 1 ½ - 2 quarts of water per day, and this requirement increases with exercise and heat. Make sure the water container you leave for your pet is large enough to meet this demand. Also, if you use a bucket, insure that your pet can still reach the water as the level goes down through drinking or evaporation. Water that can’t be reached is the same as no water at all. Along these lines, if your dog is on a chain or runner outside, check that the chain can’t get caught on or wrapped around anything (Water that can’t be reached…). Keep the water container in a shady location so the water will stay cool and make sure your pet has access to shade. A kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it can act as a cool retreat on a hot day for an outdoor pet. Always keep the water container clean as things growing in dirty water bowls can make your pet sick.

Exercising your pet should be restricted to the early morning or evening, when the heat is less. Hot asphalt can make a dog’s body heat up faster than if it were on grass. Dogs riding in the back of pick-ups, in the heat of the day, is bad also. The metal and black bed-liners intensify the heat and can burn their paws. Some dogs don’t know when to stop exercising. They love to play Frisbee or fetch so much that they will continue to the point of exhaustion. It is up to you, as the owner, to use good judgement and decide when play should stop.

If you think your pet has heat exhaustion or heatstroke, what can you do?

Slowly cooling your pet down is extremely important. If you drop their body temperature too rapidly, they can suffer from hypothermia…or low body temperature. Cool, NOT COLD, water can be used to cool your pet. (Very cold water will cause constriction of the blood vessels and slow cooling) Ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel and placed on the animal’s head and between its front and back legs will assisst cooling. Rubbing alcohol on their pads and inside their ears will evaporate rapidly and help to cool them also. Most importantly, get them to your veterinarian if you think your pet is suffering from heat exhaustion. Even if they look better, the liver, kidneys, and brain can be severely damaged by dehydration and excessive body temperatures. Blood tests and a veterinary exam are required to assess this. There is also a blood problem, called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation), that can be a secondary complication to heat stroke and is often fatal.

What can you, as an owner, do to prevent either problem?

If at all possible, keep your pets inside during the hottest parts of the day. If this is not an option, a shady yard, kiddie pool and constant access to fresh water are a must. If chained, make sure the chain can’t get wrapped around anything, keeping your dog from shade or its water. Clipping heavy-coated breeds so they have less hair is helpful…but don’t clip them too close and leave them open for sunburn. You can also hose down your dog with water before work, at lunch, or whenever you can provide extra cooling, PROVIDED YOUR DOG IS NOT SHOWING SIGNS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION ALREADY. In that case, take him to your vet immediately. Never leave your dog or cat in a car alone, opening a window will not help. Confinement is more dangerous than people think. Enjoy the sun this summer, but be aware of the danger the hot weather can pose for your pet…and take steps to protect them.