Summertime is a fun time and enjoyable with your furry! However, hot weather comes, dogs’ bodies start producing less water than usual because they’re not drinking enough during hot weather. As a result, their body temperature rises quickly when exposed to extreme heat. If you want to keep your pets healthy during hot weather, here’s some advice for preventing, detecting, and treating heat exhaustion.
What Is Heat Exhaustion
Hyperthermia occurs when your pet’s body temperature rises above a normal level and it becomes difficult for them to control their own body temperature. Heat stroke occurs when an animal’s body temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). It may cause death if not properly treated.
Dogs’ primary method for cooling themselves down is through panting; therefore, they’re far more sensitive to heat than we are. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is easy to avoid no matter when it happens during hot weather.
What causes Heat Stroke in Dogs
Heatstroke occurs when an animal becomes overheated due to environmental conditions. One of the main causes is carelessness from an animal’s owner, like letting their dogs in a car, stay outside for too long without providing them with adequate shelter or access to water.
Heatstroke occurs differently among different breeds of dogs. Short-nosed dogs, especially those who suffer from health issues, are at greater risk for heatstroke than long-nosed breeds. Dogs that enjoy regular exercise and play time should always be closely monitored for signs of overheating when they’re exposed to high temperatures and humidity.
How to Tell if Your Dog Has Heat Stroke
One of the most common symptoms of heatstroke in dogs is excessive panting. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, lack of coordination, unconsciousness, and coma.
If heat stroke occurs in a dog it may be indicative of an underlying health issue that could lead to more severe consequences if not treated immediately. Therefore, it is important for you to seek out immediate veterinary care if any signs appear.
Symptoms Of Heat Stroke
Heatstroke symptoms in dogs are quite similar to those seen in people. However, dogs tend to pant more than they sweat when suffering from heatstroke. Heat Stroke Symptoms include:
Excessively panting or having trouble breathing: If your dog is hyperventilating continuously or even faster than usual, he may be too hot.
Hypersalivation (Excessive drooling): Watch for lots of saliva or saliva that’s thicker and stickier than normal.
Warm to touch Fever: If your dog has a dry and warm nose rather than a moist one, then he may be sick. If your body temperature rises above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 Celsius), then it’s abnormal.
Respiratory rate: To check your dog’s heart rate, simply put one finger on each side of his chest just below where he has an armpit. If their pulse appears to be elevated, they may be too hot temperature. Bigger dogs usually have lower heart rates than smaller ones. Smaller dogs and puppies often have faster heart rates than larger breeds.
Dehydration: Signs include dry nose, visible fatigue, excessive panting, sunken eyes.
Dizziness: Your dog may seem confused because he has difficulty walking in a straight line, or keep bumping into things if his body temperature is too low due to lack of water intake.
Diarrhea: If you notice abnormally soft stools, or if they contain blood, then you need to seek medical attention immediately.
Weakness: Dogs who get overheated may sleep longer than usual or be unable to stand up or walk properly.
Muscle tremors: If your dog shakes uncontrollably no matter what the weather conditions, then he could possibly be suffering from heatstroke.
Coma: It should be a risk of death at the end.
The risk of Heatstroke can be diagnosed by observing for any one of these signs of heatstroke and symptoms, but there are many more. Don’t ignore any signs of illness if your dog seems ill, tired, or otherwise unusual during the hot summer months. If unsure, ask for advice from your local veterinarian. It’s essential for keeping your dog away from severe heatstroke, keeping it safe and healthy.
Treatment For Heat stroke
Contact your vet or the closest emergency animal hospital and ask for help. When driving to the veterinarian, keep the windows up and turn on the car’s Air Conditioning system.
If the temperature gets too high for the dog, remove him from the excessive heat immediately. Place a damp towel on the dog’s body to cool him down. Don’t use ice cubes either! Cooling down too fast may cause even more harm than simply overheating. For smaller dogs or puppies, use lukewarm (not hot) water. You can add cool water to the ear canal and paw pad for dogs who suffer from heatstroke by applying it directly onto these parts.
You can let your dog drink as much cold water as he wants without forcing him to drink.
Do not take any type of medication such as aspirin. It could cause more harm than good.
How to Prevent Heat Exhaustion
It is essential for dog owners to know about the external temperatures and take necessary precautions against overheating their pets.
Make sure your dog has adequate ventilation when outside. Also, ensure he/she has enough access to fresh air and drinking water.
Never leave your pets unattended in a car for any length of time. Even if the window isn’t completely closed. Don’t forget that your dog is way more sensitive to heat than we are.
Be careful not to let your dog remain outdoors for too long. You need to ensure that if your dog spends a lot of time outside, he has enough access to fresh drinking water and shade from direct sunlight.
You can avoid walking your dog when it’s hot outside by waiting until later in the day Try walking your dog during cooler times of the day if it’s feasible for you. Take plenty of water during exercise sessions; bring them with you when walking for extended periods of time. If you’re going for a walk, take short ones instead of long ones; if you need to go up a hill, avoid doing so.