Heat Stroke

[Lookie]

"The dogs should never be left outside in direct sun during the summer; heat stroke comes on very quickly because of the black coat color."

How long is too long? I don't leave my pup out at all, but what if we were on a hike where there is no shade? Aside from bringing water with us, what could I do to prevent heat stroke on a hot day?

[Judi W]

If you are going on a hike where there is no shade or streams for the dog to dunk in, leave the dog at home. It is that simple. On a hike the facilities for emergency treatment of overheating is not available. The results can be a dead dog.

A couple of years ago, we had a club member who killed his two Goldens by taking them on a hike when he should not have and Goldens are quite heat tolerant. The Rottweiler is not. Even when the temperatures are reasonable as far as people are concerned, the direct sun can overheat these black, large bodied dogs quickly. Dogs do not sweat for cooling. The radiant heat from the ground bounces up to their entire body. The sun is quickly absorbed by the black coat and that shorter coat does not protect the body from absorbing the heat like a fuller coat would.

[lblax]

take plenty of water and dont push the pace look for shady rest spots along the way... but if you think it is hot enough to worry about heat stroke then either find a place to walk thats shady or dont go for the walk..extreme excersize in the heat is what reaally does it just being in the sun wont put them in heat stroke unless they are tied there with no access to water or shade.. my dog lays on the concrete steps for hours basking in the sun when its so hot you can almost smell him baking inside.....

[Judi W]

But Larry, he is able to move to a cooling place the minute he needs to. That is the difference between self exposure and being on a hike. There is little more exertive than herding, however, even when herding, if we see the dog stressing because of the heat, we can immediately put them in a water tank. Those things providing immediate relief are not available on a hike.

[lblax]

Originally Posted by Judi W

But Larry, he is able to move to a cooling place the minute he needs to. That is the difference between self exposure and being on a hike. .

thats why i said that if its hot either find appropiate place to hike or stay to home.. and also pointed out they need access to shade and water.... i used storm as the example of how he lays out because i got the feeling that when she stated the dogs should never be left in the direct sun and wondering how long is to long i didnt want her to be scared to have her dog go out on a nice sunny day...

[TrishB]

I watched a Chow Chow fight die due to heat stroke while his elderly owners watched on, crying.

It was a VERY hot day (33C with high humidity). They were simply walking and were in the shade. The dog was panting (which you would expect) and just laid down and wouldn't get up. :(

We (I managed the veterinary clinic) put him in a cooling tank but it was too late.

Quite simply: If you don't have easy access to water, cool air and shade - leave your dog at home.

[carib]

OMG TrishB, that must have been horrible. I live in a really hot place too. For our walks, I avoid the hottest days and prefer really late or even nights. But sometimes we go to the beach and going frecuently in the water seems to keep Roxy cool. I also make her drink a lot and. I hope is ok, but after reading this post I will watch her more carefully for the minor sign of discomfort. Thanks

[TrishB]

Originally Posted by carib

OMG TrishB, that must have been horrible. I live in a really hot place too. For our walks, I avoid the hottest days and prefer really late or even nights. But sometimes we go to the beach and going frecuently in the water seems to keep Roxy cool. I also make her drink a lot and. I hope is ok, but after reading this post I will watch her more carefully for the minor sign of discomfort. Thanks

Yes, it was horrible. They just wanted to go for a stroll in the park - they didn't think that the heat advisory applied to 'strolls'.

It's easy enough to avoid. If it's too hot for you to want to run around, it is for your dog too. And if you don't feel that you could get cool quick if need be (i.e. jump in the water) then your dog can't either.

And remember - dogs aren't interested in tanning - so leave them at home for that as well. ;)

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by Judi W

leave the dog at home

This is what we do with Julius. In the summer the average temperature around here is like 80. He does not do well in the heat. He just wants to lay around & try & stay cool.

In the summer, we walk him in the early morning & in the evening when it's cooler. Then Julius get's spunky once it's gets cooler.

We will take him hiking at one place during the summer but it's VERY shady & there is a big stream right beside the trail that he's always in & out of.

:)
Brooke

[carib]

Originally Posted by TrishB

And remember - dogs aren't interested in tanning - ;)

Roxy ALWAYS finds something interesting under the chairs and digs and digs until makes me fall!!! :D

[Squeaky2004]

My mother in laws seeing eye dog (black lab) had heat stroke last summer. It was a really scary sight, just fainted and could not get up. My husband had to carry her back to his parents place. They took her to the vet immediately and thats what they said she had was heat stroke. Funny thing is she was not doing too much but it was sooo hot that day and we had to take the dog out, my mother in-law relies on her so she needed to take her, it was only a short distance, and lots of shade, but the heat was just too much to bare.

[Lookie]

Can someone post "signs" to look for before it's too late!

I live in B.C., and we have the most beautiful hiking trails shady, water, everything...but maybe even just the heat and her constantly moving with us, would be enough to cause heat stroke? Or is it just the direct sunlight on her that would cause it?

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by Lookie

Can someone post "signs" to look for before it's too late!

I live in B.C., and we have the most beautiful hiking trails shady, water, everything...but maybe even just the heat and her constantly moving with us, would be enough to cause heat stroke? Or is it just the direct sunlight on her that would cause it?

Here is something that I just found:

Death from heat stroke can occur pretty quickly. The shortest interval between exposure to high heat extremes and death is about 20 minutes, based on our practice experience, but these have
been "closed car" cases. It is probably more common for dogs to experience heat stroke in the first few days they are acclimating to heat and for it to occur in conjunction with excitement or exercise. Most dogs probably take an hour or more to develop heat stroke in these circumstances but if they were struggling with the heat prior to exercising it is possible that the problem could develop more quickly. Any illness that is contributing to an increase in body temperature can also shorten the time period for signs to become severe.

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. The veterinarian may want to use cool water enemas, cool water gastric lavage (rinsing of the stomach), corticosteroids and specialized intravenous fluid therapy using colloids to maintain blood pressure. If there is any evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), intensive therapy for several days may be necessary if a successful outcome is possible.

Immediate treatment is critical to success when dealing with heat stroke, so delays are potentially harmful, or fatal. Many people do not associate the clinical signs they are seeing with heat stroke, though. Especially when their level of suspicion is not high.

Also found this but not sure if it's true or not. I'd be interested in hearing if this is true from someone....

One way to check your pet's tolerance to the temperature is by looking at the colour of its gums. They should be a light pink colour. Press your finger gently in one spot and release. Watch how fast the pink colour returns. A dog with heat stroke will have dark reddish gums and there will be a delay in the time colour returns to the spot you've pressed.

:)
Brooke

[Judi W]

I would say that you should never wait until you see these symptoms as by then you are already in trouble if you are hiking.

Watch to see if the dogs tongue is hanging out and getting larger and larger in an attempt to provide cooling. That means the dog is in a heating situation. Water applied to the pads of the feet and the groin area provide the quickest relief and a cooling pack applied to the throat where the blood supply is attempting to carry cooled blood from the tongue to the rest of the body will also be helpful.

[Squeaky2004]

Ok, i dont know if anyone would be able to help me on this one but since my mother in law has no sight, besides the panting and feeling/ hearing how heavy the dog is breathing is there any other way that she may be able to tell? Because she did not know last time until the dog collapsed/fainted. Thanks to anyone that might have a suggestion