Biewer-Heat-Stroke-Reminder

Heat Stroke - Reminder for the Season

Heat stroke is something we need to try to avoid if at all possible.

Never leave dogs unattended in vehicles or yards with minimal shade when the temperatures rise above 90 degrees.

Avoid exercise during the peak hours where heat and humdity are at their worst.

Provide lots of cool shade, water, and in hot regions install misters set on timers to deliver a cool mist every 5 to 10 minutes for 2 or 3 minutes to the shady areas of your yard, and water should be available for drinking at all times.

Wading pools in the shade should be provided as well.

Use cool coats soaked in ice water when possible if dogs are out in the heat, and above all else, be aware when your dog is begining to show signs of developing heat stroke.

The normal body temperature of the dog is between 100 and 102.5 degrees.

Dogs are not as efficient eliminating excess heat from their bodies as people are. They exchange heat through their tongue and nasal passages, the sweat glands located in their perianal and interdigital areas, and through their skin.

When a dog's tongue begins to enlarge markedly as it pants, this is the canine body trying to increase the surface area of it's primary heat exchange respiratory system organ to eliminate its excess heat, but only so much heat can be eliminated in this manner, or through sweating and from passive exchange from the skin itself, due to the limited numbers of sweat glands on the canine body, and limitted surface area of skin.

Early signs of heat stroke are excessive enlargement of the tongue, extreme heavy panting, progressing to incoordination, weakness, elevated heart rate, seizures, collapse, shock, respiratory arrest, and organ failure due to hypoperfusion and increased clotting and embolic showers that may occuer in the circulatory system, called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).

If you find your dog in a situation where it has overheated and is mentally dull, incoordinated, shock is begining to set in and you must get a fan on the dog and rinse the dog in a continuous stream cool water immediately and for 15 to 30 minutes.

If the dog is not responding quickly, rush to the nearest veterinary hospital for further evaluation and therapy.

At the veterinary hospital continued efforts to cool the dog will include cool water enemas, cool water rinse, and isopropyl alcohol applied with towelettes to the neck, armpits, abdomen, groin regions, and feet.

Seizures, shock, and collapse must be aggressively treated ASAP for the dog in serious respiratory and thermal compromise.

IV fluids, mannitol, steroids, and supplemental oxygen are some of the things that may be necessary to halt the deadly cascade of physiological events that occur with severe heat stroke.

If DIC has occured, or does occur shortly after emergency stabilization, continued IV fluids and anticoagulative medications may also be necessary for several days or longer, as well as repeated monitoring of rectal temperature, mentation, respiration, neurological and renal function, PaO2, and blood levels of FDP's and clotting times.

Again, the best medicine for heat stroke is PREVENTION if possible, but should it happen please seek prompt and aggressive emergency care for you dog in distress.....unfortunately, many serious cases of heat stroke are fatal despite our best efforts to treat them.

Larry P. Occhipinti, DVM, MPVM
Guardman's Veterinary & K9 Reproduction Services