Heat Strokes in Dogs
If you live in a relatively warm climate and own a dog, it is important to understand that your pet is susceptible to having a heat stroke. This is an extremely dangerous health complication that could result in serious health issues such brain damage that is irreversible and possibly even death. If a dog is exposed to extremely hot and humid conditions, it produces a lot of different symptoms that could actually jeopardize the dog’s life. When a heat stroke develops, the dog must be quickly tended to. The goal is to reduce the body temperature as quickly as possible. If the temperature of the body is not reduced, it will continue to rise.
There are many factors that put a dog at risk for having a heat stroke. The following outlines the details associated with dogs that have a high risk for developing this potentially fatal complication:
• If a dog has other types of health conditions, it could put them at a higher risk for developing a heat related complication. This is especially true if the dog is on medication for another condition.
• Younger dogs tend to handle the heat much better than older dogs. Dogs that are older have a higher risk of suffering from a stroke that is induced by excessive heat.
• If a dog is considered to be overweight, they may experience this issue quicker than a dog that is considered to be at a healthy weight.
• If a dog has a face that is sort of pushed in, they may experience this heat issue.
• Dogs that have a lot of hair in their coat are at risk for this problem when they are subjected to extremely hot temperatures.
• If a dog has a respiratory or a cardiovascular complication, they may experience a heat stroke in warm weather.
If you live in a warm environment, it is absolutely essential to become familiar with the signs of a dog that is experiencing a heat stroke. If you see your dog exhibit any of the symptoms, you should attempt to lower their body temperature and seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The symptoms are as follows:
• First, a dog will start to pant in a heavy manner. You will find that this heavy panting is much more excessive than the typical panting that the animal engages in.
• It is common for the dog to start the process of drooling. You will find that the drooling is much more excessive than the dog typically exhibits.
• Gastrointestinal complications such as vomiting are extremely common when a dog gets too hot.
• You may find that the dog appears to be off balance. This is typically a direct result of dizziness that the animal is experiencing.
• The gums and the tongue of the animal may appear to be deep or bright red.
• Many dogs will appear to be extremely weak. They may be unable to walk on their own or they may have a strong desire to sleep.
• Many dogs that suffer from a heat stroke may also suffer from seizures as a result of the increased body temperature.
Remember, cooling the dog that is suffering from a heat stroke is absolutely essential. It is important to avoid using ice cold water. This could result in putting the dog in shock. You could use a hose to splash the dog. It is also important to give the dog water. This will assist in preventing the onset of dehydration because of the excessive heat in the body.