Heat Stroke in Adult Dogs and Puppies

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. Check your dog’s temperature rectally if you suspect heatstroke. Normal body temperature in dogs is higher than in humans (99.5 to 102.5 F as compared to 98.6 F). If your dog’s temperature is over 105 F, call your vet and remove your dog from the heat source immediately.

Signs of heat stroke include (but are not limited to) body temperatures of 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or muddy coloured tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhoea or vomiting, coma, death. Brachycephalic breeds and large heavy-coated breeds, puppies, older dogs and those dogs with heart or respiratory problems are more at risk for heat stroke.

Jogging is also dangerous this time of year. So your dog jogs everyday with you and is in excellent shape - why alter the routine you ask? As the weather warms, humans alter the type and amount of clothing worn, and we sweat more. Dogs are still jogging in their winter coat (or a slightly lighter version) and can only cool themselves by panting and a small amount of sweating through the foot pads. Not enough! Many dogs, especially the 'athletes' will keep running, no matter what, to stay up with their owner. Change the routine to early morning or late evening to prevent heat stroke.

Keep your dog in a comfortable environment (air-conditioned room or partially open windows with a breeze) during extremely hot weather.

Provide your dog with plenty of fresh water and plenty of shade. Take extra care with puppies.

Leaving them in the car. This can be deadly. A little heat outside the car can quickly make it very hot inside. On a summer's day of only 85 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, even keeping the windows slightly open won't stop the inside temperature from climbing to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, to 120 degrees in 20 minutes. A dog whose body temperature rises to 107-108 degrees will within a very short time suffer irreparable brain damage -- or even death.

Complications of heat stroke may include:

Liver failure

Acute kidney failure

Muscle breakdown

Low blood pressure (hypotension)

Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Convulsions (seizures)

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

Secondary infections (including pneumonia)

Gastrointestinal problems including bleeding and absorption of bacteria or toxins from the intestine with development of systemic infection (sepsis)

Emergency treatment

Heat stroke is an emergency that requires veterinary assistance, but you can effectively initiate treatment in most cases before heading for the vets. You must aggressively assist the dogs’ efforts to lower body temperature with the use of water and air. Since the lungs cannot keep up with the heat buildup, you now have to cool the skin and associated blood vessels so the body’s temperature will decrease. Submersion of the dog in cool water will start to bring the temperature down quickly. You will want to avoid extremely cold water or ice since they cause the blood vessels in the skin to constrict and will not allow for a meaningful heat exchange. If there isn’t anything available to submerse the dog in, you can start wetting him down with a hose. Wet him down all over, but let the water run continuously in the groin area since there are large numbers of significant and relatively superficial blood vessels in that area that will allow for more rapid cooling of the blood. Heavy muscular activity drives body temperatures up with alarming speed. Following intervals of high activity, get the dog to an air conditioned vehicle, or wet the dog down and go to an area that is shaded and preferably breezy to allow for evaporation. Do not wet the dog down and return it to an enclosed style crate, as you will be creating a steam bath like environment. Make sure there is access to reasonable volumes of cool fresh water both before and after activity.

The dog should be in a well-ventilated, shady area to allow for evaporation of the water. Evaporation cools body temperatures very effectively. When you are transporting him to the vets, keep the air conditioner on or the windows open to increase evaporation. Do not use an enclosed style crate since it allows for very little evaporation or fresh cool air for the lungs. Do not cover the dog with a wet towel as it will prevent evaporation.

Ref: Dr De Boer

Ref: P Schhenck

Heat Stress In Puppies

Over exposure to direct sun (sun stroke) or excessive heat in a enclosed area can both lead to a dog heat stroke. Although both forms of heat stroke seem similar there are some important differences in the symptoms that the puppy will present when suffering the affects of the heat stroke and in the manner of treating the condition. In the case of the heat stroke (sun stroke) resulting from being out side and being over exposed to direct sun, the puppy's skin will be hot and dry. The puppy may also have some pre-stroke symptoms, such as: nausea, dizziness, or weakness. In any case the first really obvious signs of sun-induced heat stroke will be: collapse, unconsciousness, fast and labored breathing and the puppy's pulse will be fast and strong

There can also be accompanying convulsions. Immediately but carefully move the puppy out of the direct sun and into a shaded cool area. Elevate the head and upper body so that it is a little higher than the rest of the puppy's body. Cool the puppy by bathing it with cold water or by placing towels soaked in cold water over it. Once the puppy fully regains consciousness you should give it some cold water to drink or cold water with a little salt (one tablespoon of salt to one liter of water). Never give a puppy that is suffering from or has just suffered heat stroke anything hot to drink, stimulants or alcoholic beverages. When a puppy has been kept in an enclosed area that is too hot (such as a car standing in the sun with all of the windows rolled up) they will lose an excess amount of body fluid and salt (through sweating). The symptoms that a puppy suffering from heat stroke for this reason will have are: dilated pupils, a fast but weak pulse, cold skin and sometimes muscle cramps. Take the puppy out of the enclosed area and place it in the open preferably a place with lots of cool fresh air. Keep the puppy lying down but with its lower limbs slightly elevated. If the puppy dog is conscious and can swallow then you should allow it to drink large amounts of slightly warm water with salt mixed into it. You can add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to one glass of water. Later you can give the puppy warm to hot coffee or black tea. For puppies suffering from either sun stroke or heat stroke you can use ice to cool their bodies as long as you only apply the ice for half an hour at a time and then let the puppy rest one hour without ice. Seek immediate medical attention.

J Smith

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Updated 03-08-06

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