Deerhounds are usually quite adept at pretending to be a prone statue if the thermometer reads more than 24 degrees celsius. There are occasions however; as I have found out when common sense gets left at the door (the dogs or mine?) and your lazy somnolent deerhound gets a little overly excited and runs like a mad thing on a very hot sunny day playing with his/her friends. All kidding aside sighthounds have been known to run themselves to death due to heatstroke on the track and in pursuit of game. I am always mindful when hiking through natural areas that Cailean might suddenly remember that she really is a sighthound and has the potential to be a formidable predator. It might not seem like it during a record breaking rainy spring but the inevitable scorching heat of summer will soon be here. It is not a bad time to remind you of a few safety and cooling tips.
-
Like a broken record Don’t, Don’t leave any dog in the car, windows down or not. Go home drop the dog off and go back for the groceries etc. Even in cool sunny weather, the temperature in the car can climb above 48°C (120°F) in 20 minutes.
-
If you must drive any distance in warm weather with your dog (remember dogs can’t sweat to cool their bodies), consider driving after dark if your car is not air conditioned.
-
Don’t put yourself & your dog into an overheated car, ventilate for a few minutes at least & to avoid toxic fumes don’t start air conditioning with the windows rolled up.
-
Carry a water bottle while walking the dog & keep a 2nd bottle in the car in case you need to wet the dog down or more for drinking (both of you). I always keep a towel, a bowl, extra water, & first aid kits in the car. If you think the dog is panting a little harder than you would like and are at all concerned wet the towel and apply to the chest, abdomen, head, ears, and foot pads moving it around.
-
The only way to know for sure if things are not too good with your dog is by taking its temperature. Keep a rectal/ or digital thermometer in the cars first aid kit if summer walks take you further than a short drive from home.
-
Your dog might be having too much fun to stop playing, don’t wait for the dog to refuse to go any further, go and hide in the shade or lay down at your feet. Anticipate a slower pace and leash an over-excited dog on a hot day. Useful in the car or your backpack is a spray bottle to add to your arsenal of cooling tools. As to the effectiveness of cooling beds and jackets, its worth trying although I haven’t heard of too many people who swear by them. I’d love comments from readers who might speak to this.
-
If you happen to see wildlife in the area, leash your dog. Searching for a lost dog in the blazing heat of a long summer day is one disaster best avoided.
-
As with most things in dog rearing knowing your dog, its body, habits and personality are key to knowing when something is out of the ordinary. Know what your dog’s gum colour is like usually, know how quickly the colour returns if you do a capillary refill test. This test should be done when your dog is completely well so that you know what the baseline is for your pet. firmly press on the gum above a tooth with your thumb or finger for about 3 seconds. When the thumb is removed the spot will appear paler but after 1.5 seconds the colour should return.
-
If the dog is dehydrated, the membranes will be dry and the capillary refill time will be prolonged (>2-3 seconds).
http://www.spca.bm/petcare/heat-stress.php
Read more at Suite101: How to Check Your Dog’s Gums: Learn to Examine a Sick Dog for Gum Paleness or Discoloration http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_check_your_dogs_gums#ixzz0wba0oiQP
Heat stroke is most common in the large breeds and in dogs with short noses. Dogs mainly cool themselves by panting, or breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. The process of panting directs air over the mucous membranes (moist surface) of the tongue, throat and trachea (windpipe). The air that is flowing over these organs causes evaporation, thus cooling the animal. Another mechanisms that helps remove heat includes dilation of blood vessels in the skin of the face, ears and feet. Dilated blood vessels located on the surface of the body cause the blood to loose heat to the outside air. Breaths per minute. Puppies 15-40 breaths/ minute. Dogs 10-30 breaths/minute. Toy breeds (small dogs) 15-40 breaths/minute. Dogs that are panting – up to 200 pants/minute. If the animals abdomen is expanding instead of the chest on inhalation your pet is not breathing normally. You should seek veterinary care.
A dog’s normal body temperature ranges between 100.5 Fahrenheit (38.1°C) and 102.5 Fahrenheit (39.2°C).
Like people, dogs can become overheated. If it rises to 105 or 106 degrees, the dog is at risk for developing heat exhaustion. If the body temperature rises to 107 degrees, the dog has entered the danger zone of heat stroke. With heat stroke, damage to the body can be irreversible. Organs begin to shut down, and veterinary care is immediately needed. Death from heat stroke can occur pretty quickly. The shortest interval between exposure to high heat extremes and death is about 20 minutes & usually as a result of being left in a closed vehicle. Dogs like people need time to adjust to the seasonal changes in weather. They are most likely to experience heat stroke as they are becoming acclimated to the heat and most likely in conjunction with exercise or excitement.
WARNING SIGNS:
heavy panting,
hyperventilation (deep breathing),
discoloured gums (deep brick red – mild to Moderate heat exhaustion,
pale white gums in severe heat stroke),
increased salivation early then dry gums as the heat prostration progresses,
weakness, stumbling or a lack of coordination,
confusion or inattention,
vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes bleeding. As the condition progresses towards heat prostration or heat stroke there may be obvious paleness or graying to the gums shallowing of the breathing efforts and eventually slowed or absent breathing efforts, vomiting and diarrhea that may be bloody and finally seizures or coma.
The most common clinical signs of Heat Stroke are weakness, loss of balance, excessive panting, roaring breathing sounds, excessive salivation, decrease in mental awareness, collapse and death. Any time that heat stroke is suspected it is best to get an immediate rectal temperature reading and to begin treatment immediately if the body temperature is over 106 degrees Fahrenheit or to stop all activity and move indoors if the temperature is less than this but elevated above 103.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit are a critical emergency, because organ damage can occur at this temperature and at higher temperatures.
Treatment consists of cool water (not cold water) bathes or rinses. If the water is too cold, or if ice is used to cool a heat stroke victim it can cause a decrease or loss of skin circulation, which can delay cooling. This should be done immediately for a few minutes and then the dog should be taken to the veterinarian’s office or to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately. Most dogs will not drink water at this stage of heat stroke and it is not a good idea to spend time trying to get them to. Just go to the vet’s as quickly as possible.
Immediate treatment is critical to success when dealing with heat stroke, so delays are potentially harmful, or fatal. http://www.vetinfo.com/dheatstroke.html
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A DOG IN DISTRESS
- If you are near a store that you think the owner may be in – ask someone to make an announcement in the store that the dog is in distress.
- Call the police immediately.
- Try to open the car door to let cool air into the car.
- If the animal looks like it is in immediate danger, the car is locked and you don’t think it will survive before help arrives, ask someone to be your witness and break the car window to rescue the animal.
