COASTAL PETS - Pet Sitting
Wilmington, NC & area Beaches

                                                "HOLLY"

Summer is here and the Heat is back -

Heat stroke can occur in pretty much anyone. Heat stroke occurs when your body temperature gets so high that it cannot regulate itself and starts to cause your body to shut down. It occurs in humans quite a bit. Most people do not know that in animals it occurs a lot more and a lot quicker than in humans. This is mainly because animals have fur, and so cannot sweat. Sweating is what helps to prevent us from ending up with heat stroke. The only way animals have to prevent heat stroke is by panting, and it is not that effective when it comes right down to it. And it is not just dogs either than suffer from heat stroke, cats, rabbits, and even reptiles can suffer from heat stroke. So it is very important to be educated on heat stroke, the causes of heat stroke, the signs and what to do when you witness these signs. Most of all, it is important to know the steps to take to prevent heat stroke.

At a resting state, a dog's normal temperature will range between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If your companion?s temperature rises above 105 degrees, changes within the body will begin, which triggers the beginning of heat stroke. There are several signs to keep an eye out for when it comes to your pet getting heat stroke. If you begin to notice that you pet is panting a lot more excessively than normal, this is usually the first sign. Other one's to keep an eye out for are increased salivation, with the saliva being thicker, gums that are dry and begin to get pale or a gray color, as well as tacky, or you may notice that their pulse is a lot faster than normal or if it is erratic. Your pet may also become weak or confused, or may suffer from diarrhea, vomiting and there is even the possibility of rectal bleeding (Dog heat stroke survival guide: Know how to treat and prevent this dangerous condition). You may also notice that your pet is not obeying your commands, they may get glassy eyes and stare into outer space (Dogs beat the heat: How is your dog coping). If the heat stroke has set in pretty far by the time you notice it, they may have all ready collapsed or have a seizure as well. These signs are signs not only for your pet dog, but also for any of your other pets as well. The signs, as I am sure you can see, are very similar to those of a human. The main difference is that heat stroke is more common and sets in extremely faster in animals than in humans.

At the onset of heat stroke, it really does begin to shut down the body to make up for the energy it is losing. You really should be able to notice your animal getting extremely tired. If you catch it right away and go to a shady area, there usually is not much of an after affect on the body. Heat stroke really can wreck some havoc on your pet, even if your pet gets through the actual signs of heat stroke. If your dog gets to temperatures between 106 and 108 degrees, he begins to suffer damage to his kidneys, his liver, his gastrointestinal tract, heart and his brain all of which are irreversible (Dog heat stroke survival guide). Because most cases of heat stroke also suffer from dehydration, your pet's blood becomes thicker and thus there are extra stresses placed on the heart while it tries to pump this thicker blood. This will result in the stagnation of the blood, blood clots and, if it last long enough, the death of tissues throughout the body (Heat stroke and malignant hyperthermia in dogs and cats). Once again, the affects of heat stroke are pretty similar between all animals. It really depends on how high the internal temperature of your animal and how long the heat stroke lasts that determines what the effects will be.

Heat stroke really does run up there in the number of deaths is causes to our pets each summer, during the hot season. The number of actual heat stroke cases is extremely high, but luckily a lot of cases result in an ending that is happier than that of the death of their beloved pet. However, there is still just too many deaths caused as the result of the onset of heat stroke. Unbelievably, the number one cause of deaths of animals, when it comes to heat stroke deaths, is by leaving your companion in a vehicle that does not offer enough ventilation in this hot weather. Most do not realize that when it is only a 70- to 80 degree day, even with the windows open, that the inside of your vehicle can heat up to over 100 degrees and fast within minutes! Most think that they are safe to leave their pets in the vehicle as long as you leave the windows cracked, but that just does not offer enough ventilation to keep it cool enough for your pet. Recent heat stroke cases that were seen by Dr. Doug Mader included a dog that was left in a parked car for two hours luckily he lived. Another case, there were two dogs that were taken out by their owners for normal exercise. One of these pups lived, while the other is still in the ICU we only wish the best for him. Lastly, Dr, Mader had a case where a pet iguana was left in the sun. He was left in a place where there was no shade offered. Luckily, the iguana lived as well (The heat can prove deadly to unattended pets, http://keysnews.com/node/13429). So fortunately, most of these cases did not result in the death of the animal.

So, you are out playing with your dog and you see that he is panting quite hard and that he seems to be getting really tired. When you pet him you notice that he is very warm. What do you do? You need to get him cooled down. You can do this in many different ways, but the best option is to get him wet. However, you do not want to just throw him in water that is cold like a bath or a lake as a sudden rush of too cold of water can actually cause more severe problems. Use a hose to hose him down little by little. If you have a kiddie pool, or if you stay close to shore where it is shallow, you can put him in there, and then splash the water up on him and all over. Do not offer water at this time. If you feel that your pet absolutely needs some water, do not allow your pet to gulp the water because that can also cause problems. Usually it is only recommended to offer water after your dog has cooled down a bit as you also want to make sure that they are not dehydrated. Another thing you should not do is just put a towel that is watered down over the back of your companion. This actually does the complete opposite, as it traps heat in. You also want to try to get him and stay in the shade, as that will also really help. Another big thing is that you want to try to keep the dog moving. Don't let him just lay there, get him to at least stand up, and as soon as he has some of his energy back, get him to walk around slowly. Most think that performance drinks that are good for humans would also be good for your dog, but it is not true. Do not offer these drinks to your pet. If your dog refuses to drink water, try to offer him chicken or beef based broths ? these are better options. You also want to call your vet and bring him in right away. Even if you are able to get his temperature down, you still want to bring him in because the vet will check his vitals, lungs and kidneys to be sure they were not affected by the onset of heat stroke. You also want to keep an eye on your pet for up to 48 hours after the fact as sometimes it can take that long for certain results of the heat stroke to set in.

Well, you know the signs, symptoms, and how to treat heat stroke. What about skipping all of that and just preventing heat stroke? There are many ways to prevent heat stroke. Because the number one way animals get and die from heat stroke is by leaving them in your vehicle, the most obvious prevention is to not leave your beloved pet in the vehicle even for just a couple of minutes. It does not take long for your car to become extremely hot. You want to make sure you offer a lot of water to your pet while he is out playing. You also want to make sure there's shade wherever you are at for a little rest every once in a while. If you pet is mostly outside during the day, you want to make sure that his doghouse is not primarily enclosed the more air can get through it, the better. You also want to make sure there is enough shade offered throughout the entire day remember that the sun moves and thus so do shady spots. Make sure that there is water available all throughout the day. Make sure the water is also in the shade so that your companion does not have to drink hot water. It is also a good idea to put out two water bowls, just in case one tips. If you do take your dog for a walk daily, when it is really hot out, take him earlier in the morning, or later at night when it is cooler. Another good idea is to purchase one of those kiddie pools to put a little water in for your dog to jump in and out of, or if that is not an option, you can get a sandbox and just keep it moist for your pet as well just know that they will more than likely dig in it and play around. One pet owner even went as far as putting in a cooling and heating system in their pet's dog house so that they did not have to worry about whether it was too hot or too cold for their beloved dogs when they were at work. Even though this may seem a little far-fetched, but the concept has actually spread out quite a bit, especially in areas that suffer from really high temperatures. So, this may or may not be an option for you and your pets as well. The best option really is to train your dogs to be indoor dogs where it is cooler at all times. The only thing you have to be aware of with indoor dogs is that they are a lot more susceptible to getting heat stroke than dogs that are outdoor dogs. This is simply because outdoor dogs become acclimated to the weather and can handle it a lot better than dogs that are primarily indoors and only go outside occasionally.

No matter which way you look at it, heat stroke can be a real bad thing. It can be fatal to your loved ones. Knowing the signs and symptoms will let you know when it is time to take action and get your pet cooled down. Knowing how to prevent the onset of heat stroke is even more important, because then you can hopefully steer clear of heat stroke in your pets all together. If you do notice signs of heat stroke, take action right away and get your pet to the vet as soon as possible to prevent fatal damage and even the death of your companion. Remember that heat stroke can affect any of your pets, not just your dogs. Most of all, don't leave your pets in your vehicles, even with the windows cracked, because that is just an accident waiting to happen. Most of all, love your pets, play with your pets and stay cool with your pets!