The lazy days of summer will soon be here and so will the scorching heat. Our family’s pets are susceptible to the excessive heat like we are. Here are some signs of heat exhaustion for a dog to watch for. Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion will help you to provide your family’s pet with the proper attention that is needed.
Rapid breathing
Rapid heart rate
Staggering around
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Glassy eyes
Excessive panting
Salivating excessively
No panting at all
Non responsive to your voice
If you do suspect that your dog is suffering from heat exhaustion the first thing you need to do is take him to a shaded area if he is outdoors. Then take a water hose and soak him down. Do not use ice cold water because this will cause hypothermia to set in fast. Ice cold water does not let the heat escape from the dog’s body. You can also tuck an ice pack under both front legs and around the groin area.
You will need to take his temperature with an anal thermometer to be able to get the most accurate reading. A dog’s normal body temperature is 102 degrees.
Just be careful when you do take his temperature because even though he may be in distress he may still bite you. Do not let your dog drink excessive amounts of water right now. Only give him enough water that will wet his throat and his mouth.
You will need to call your local veterinarian and let him or her know what is going on with your dog and that you suspect that he is suffering from heat exhaustion and tell him what all you have done so far. Your pet’s doctor will decide if and when you need to take your dog to the vet.
If your dog is outdoors and suffers from heat exhaustion you can carry him indoors and place him in the bathtub and immerse him in cool water. Use a washcloth and wet it down with the cool water and wet his face and head down.
Dogs that have darker colored coats and thicker coats are the most susceptible to the heat and also those dogs who participate in outdoor activities.
Feline Heat Exhaustion; Signs To Look For; What To Do
Rapid breathing
Panting
Glassy eyes
Excessive salivating
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Non responsive to your voice
Even though cats love the heat they too can suffer from heat exhaustion.
The first thing you need to do if you suspect your cat is suffering from heat exhaustion is to take the cat to a cooler environment and you will need to get the cat’s body temperature lowered. You need to immerse the cat in cool water if possible or you can just place his paws into the water. Do not use ice cold water as this will not help to bring the cat’s body temperature down. Using ice cold water will cause hypothermia.
You will need to take the cat’s temperature using an anal thermometer to get the most accurate reading. Be careful doing this since the cat may bite even though he is in a distressed state of mind. Call your local vet and let him or her know what is happening to your pet and what all you have done. If he or she asks you to bring the cat in you need to wrap the cat up inside of a wet towel to transport him to the vet.
Dogs have a built in air conditioner to keep them cool. Panting is a dog’s natural way to stay cool. If you notice no panting at all from your dog you need to immerse them in cool water and call your vet immediately. Cats do not pant to keep themselves cool. They lay around and lick their fur and the saliva from their mouths helps keep them a cool cat. If you do notice that your cat is panting this is a sure sign of either heat exhastion or another health concern. Immerse him in cool water or wrap a water soaked towel around him and call your vet immediately. A cat that is panting is not good at all.
Heat exhaustion in pets can cause brain damage and organ damage and in the most severe cases will be fatal. If your pet does suffer from heat exhaustion this summer just remember to first and try to get his body temperature down by immersing him in cool water and take his temperature.
Call your local vet and let him know what has happened and what you are doing for your pet and he or she may tell you to go ahead and bring your pet in if he thinks that the animal is in critical condition already. Your pet’s doctor may ask you to describe the symptoms of your pet’s condition and can decide if you need to take your pet in or if he thinks that you can treat your pet’s symptoms at home yourself. Just remember that it is never too early to call your vet whenever you think that the family pet’s health is in danger.
Pets and Parked Cars
During my years working for a veterinarian I can recall only a few times when a cat was brought in suffering from heat exhaustion and there were many times where pet owners brought in their dog. A lot of the times the cause of the heat exhaustion was from the owner leaving the animal inside of their car while they went into the store just for a few minutes.
Leaving an animal inside of the car is most often the cause of heat exhaustion in pets. Never leave your dog or cat inside of a car not even for a few minutes. Even with the windows rolled down the temperature inside of a car will rise to unbelievable degrees. It only takes five minutes for an animal to die inside of a car on a sweltering summer day.
Automobiles act like a greenhouse and the heat is trapped inside of them so even on a day when the outdoor temperature is in the low 70’s the temperature inside of a car can soar up to 102 in only ten minutes and then a sweltering 120 degrees within 30 minutes time. This is with the windows down and the car is in the shade.
If the weather is too hot for you to be outdoors it is too hot for the family pet. Our pets will be much more comfy and cool if we leave them at home during the sweltering heat of the summer.
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one.
