I. Causes of heatstroke in dogs
Summer needs to know the source. Why do pet dogs get heatstroke? Most dogs reportedly exude body heat by sweating through their outstretched tongues. Only a few dogs sweat and dissipate heat through their pores. In hot weather, once a pet dog doesn’t have time to dissipate heat through the tongue, too much body heat builds up, and he gets heatstroke.
The leading cause of heat stroke in dogs is their skin sweat glands are underdeveloped. They only have sweat glands in fewer areas, such as paw pads, so they can produce very few sweat glands to regulate body temperature adequately. Although dogs will open their mouths, breathe quickly, and shed saliva to carry away more heat during the hot season, after all, they can’t sweat properly and won’t stop moving because of the heat, let alone take care of their bodies to hydrate at all times, so dogs are more prone to heatstroke!
A dog’s body temperature should be 37.8 to 39°C. If the body temperature rises to 40.65°C when the body temperature reaches 41, the dog’s internal organs will begin to be damaged °C time is very dangerous for dogs, and in hot environments or hot climates, as little as 20 minutes may lead to the failure of the dog’s body systems and death. So heat stroke is the biggest threat to a dog’s health in summer or other hot weather conditions!
2. Symptoms and judgment of heat stroke in dogs
2. Symptoms and determination of heatstroke in dogs
The general symptoms of heatstroke in dogs are weakness of the limbs, burning skin, confusion, and even sudden fainting.
How to tell if your dog is suffering from heatstroke:
1. Determining heatstroke by behavior
Most dogs with asthma-like cattle will rejuvenate with some water and rest in a cool place. But when their heads get hot, the reaction to heatstroke follows. Signs of heatstroke are present when a dog is breathing rapidly, restless, barking, and drooling. He will then have difficulty breathing, lifting his head, cause neck breathing or lazy eyes, and without proper treatment, the dog will go into shock, pass out, and eventually die.
2. Determining whether heat stroke is heat stroke by other methods
To determine if a dog is suffering from heatstroke, owners can tell by touch or observation in addition to its external behavior and reactions. For example, whether the pet is in a humid and hot environment and its body temperature is much higher than usual. Or observe from the hairless part of your pet’s abdomen if the skin is flushed, bleeding spots, or blood spots that may be signs of heatstroke.
West Highland White Terrier
III. First aid for dog heatstroke
Dogs get heatstroke quickly, so it’s more important and effective for owners to detect it than to immediately take them to the hospital.
1. Mild heatstroke
Symptoms: Drooling, asthma, restlessness.
Solution: Untie the collar and chest strap and lower the ambient temperature. Move your pet to a cool place or to a hair dryer or air conditioner to cool it down, then give the right amount of water to recover slowly.
2. Moderate heat stroke
Symptoms: dyspnea, idle state.
Solution: Start by wetting your pet’s entire body with ice water or semi-submerging in water. Be careful not to use all ice water when soaking as it may cause the dog’s body temperature to drop dramatically, usually with faucet water, and take to the hospital immediately after emergency treatment.
3. Severe heat stroke
Symptoms: coma shock
Solution: Wrap the entire body in ice water wet or towels, or wipe with alcohol to cool, or pour it rectally through the anus, then take it to the hospital as soon as possible. On the way to the hospital, you must lower your pet’s head, straighten the neck, and keep breathing smoothly to prevent vomiting.
Summer diet for dogs
Dogs’ diets are prone to spoilage in the summer, exceptionally high protein diets such as meat. The feed should be fresh food that has been heated and cooled, and the amount fed should be reduced appropriately to consider that the dog’s intake has decreased in the summer. Resolutely do not feed the dog moldy and spoiled food. If the dog eats soon after, vomiting, diarrhea, and general debilitating symptoms occur, to promptly rescued. There are three other points:
1. It is usual for dogs to eat less in summer than in other seasons. So you can adequately prepare less food for your dog, save a long time when he can’t eat a few bites, and then worry that the food will spoil and throw away. Dog food is not cheap; waste less is a little.
2. Mix your dog’s food with something cool and tasty. For example, yogurt, cheese, fresh bags, etc. can be chilled in the refrigerator and taste great and mixed with dog food to get your dog to eat more.
3. Give your dog a proper cold drink. Popsicles with milk flavor are my dog’s favorite thing, and a small pudding can be written off quickly. If you’re just taking your dog out for a walk, it’s good for dog to give him a popsicle to help lower his body temperature quickly while he’s lying on the ground breathing. But don’t overeat, be careful of your stomach. For puppies, popsicles are best eaten in several servings. Ice water is also good. You can give your dog some ice water when you bring him home, which is also suitable for lowering his body temperature.
[Ark Review]
Skin diseases are also common in dogs in hot and muggy summer weather conditions, especially during the southern mildew and rain season. It takes a long time to treat, is prone to recurrence, and is not easily cured. In addition to laboratory testing and veterinary diagnosis and treatment of the dog, shampoos containing mite repellents should be used during summer. It is best to keep dogs out of carpeted rooms to avoid contact with dogs with skin diseases. Go sparingly to grassy areas where dogs are often active. When a dog has itching, feed some paracetamol, reserpine, dexamethasone medication, or use some ointment preparation on the affected area to prevent infection and enhance skin healing.
