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Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
by Nate Baxter DVM The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid. Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it. Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling. However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate. For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible. So I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days. Alcohol: I do carry it for emergiencies. It is very effective at cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down. I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend your money on the power inverter and get a real fan. Watching temperatu If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury, check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once the temp STARTS to drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to 105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102, the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough. When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective. Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat. Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment. The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another very important point= Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog. Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 month old pup. After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a perfect lesson to show the importance of not getting a hot dog wet and then putting them in a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core and retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising-- but still being very warm--take a shower and get cooled off. As soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again. I know this is s bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and helps provide some useful information. Remember: Prevention. Learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort. ____________ ______ Nate Baxter, DVM Lebanon, OH |
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Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
"Char" wrote
Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs by Nate Baxter DVM Excellent message Char and won't remove any of it as bears repeating. My bit to add is: - Do not 'assume' a short haired dog can 'handle the heat'. Several of the hunting sorts in the hound group, in fact do not handle heat all that well. - Check sidewalks and pavement with bare feet or a hand in hot country. If you can't stand there without hopping about after 30 seconds, your dog can't either. - If your dog doesn't object to a small fan, take a small battery operated one with you. I have a small one that has a water bottle with ice core attached (got in Japan but you can find them elsewhere) and sends a cooling mist when your squeeze it along with constant with air. The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid. Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it. Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling. However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate. For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible. So I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days. Alcohol: I do carry it for emergiencies. It is very effective at cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down. I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend your money on the power inverter and get a real fan. Watching temperatu If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury, check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once the temp STARTS to drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to 105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102, the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough. When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective. Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat. Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment. The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another very important point= Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog. Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 month old pup. After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a perfect lesson to show the importance of not getting a hot dog wet and then putting them in a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core and retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising-- but still being very warm--take a shower and get cooled off. As soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again. I know this is s bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and helps provide some useful information. Remember: Prevention. Learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort. ____________ ______ Nate Baxter, DVM Lebanon, OH |
#3
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Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
On 6/21/2010 6:24 PM, cshenk wrote:
- Check sidewalks and pavement with bare feet or a hand in hot country. If you can't stand there without hopping about after 30 seconds, your dog can't either. This one happens way too often here in Florida. People have shoes on and don't realize how hot the road is. I used to do craft shows and I'd see those idiots walking their dogs on the hot roads all the time. Of course, if you say anything, and I often did, many would get angry at me for speaking up for the dog. It doesn't matter how nicely you say it, nobody wants to look like a moron in public. Dogs shut up in cars is another problem here in Florida. Once, because the car had a sunroof and it was open, a cop refused to get the dog out of the car even though it was panting excessively. No breeze blows straight down into cars when they are parked. Instead of compassion the cop was only interested in his interpretation of the law. In summers I rarely take my dogs for a ride anywhere. It's just too hot. |
#4
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Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
"Char" wrote
cshenk wrote: - Check sidewalks and pavement with bare feet or a hand in hot country. If you can't stand there without hopping about after 30 seconds, your dog can't either. This one happens way too often here in Florida. People have shoes on and don't realize how hot the road is. I used to do craft shows and I'd see those idiots walking their dogs on the hot roads all the time. Of course, if you say anything, and I often did, many would get angry at me for speaking up for the dog. It doesn't matter how nicely you say it, nobody wants to look like a moron in public. Here too. Not as hot as where you are but definately in the danger zone for dogs and barefoot people. Today, the heat index was posted as 110F (we got a computer alert of base black flag with the heat index which I have to assume was correct). It really bothers me when I see a clueless person do that. LOL though, one of my neighbors has little doggie sneakers. One of those itty bitty dogs who has to run when you are walking to keep up. Dogs shut up in cars is another problem here in Florida. Once, because the car had a sunroof and it was open, a cop refused to get the dog out of the car even though it was panting excessively. No breeze blows straight down into cars when they are parked. Instead of compassion the cop was only interested in his interpretation of the law. GRRRR!!!! I see that too. There is no excuse for leaving a dog alone in a car. If you aren't some place where you can take the dog in with you, you shouldn't bring them and that's that. In summers I rarely take my dogs for a ride anywhere. It's just too hot. I take Cash places at times, but it's doggie events and I don't have a truck. Nissan 4dr sedan with good AC. When it's really hot, I cool the car off before he gets in the back. He had a follow-up vet check this past weekend (all well thank god). It was hotter than hell here. I drove the car up to the front of the store as the pavement was too hot, had Don whisk him right in, then parked the car. I watched idiots not do this and their dogs mincing, even pulling when the dog normally didn't. One idiot decided this was the time to practice 'sit' and 'stand still' like the books say when the dog isn't heeling right. I went over and explained that the tarmac was so hot, there were puddles of melting asphalt almost (definite soft bits) and how'd HE like to put his bare feet then bare bottom on that? Fortunately he got the picture and rushed the dog in. Folks in cooler climates probably think we are nuts but then, they've never been a kid in a hot area and blistered the bare calloused skin off their feet. Oh and thanks, I did NOT know that a dog can basically steam-bake when wet with no breeze. I just know from basic observation that Cash isn't as heat tolerant as the 2foots in the house or the other 4foot. This has had us change his exercise routine to match. I ride with him now on weekends in the morning (still cool, streets not hot). Charlotte (in summer break) jogs him the other days in the morning. *If* it's cool enough and the pavement as well, he may get a second short spin with me and the bike. PS: He's now 55lbs of solid muscle and his small 'neck roll' is just excess skin. Probably more fat between his ears than anyplace else (grin). Had to let his collar out (muscles I assure you) and his breast-band and tuck in the waist-lower rib section a bit. |
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