Heatstroke Guide For Cats And Dogs – Protect Your Pet

Unexpected, fast, and deadly….heatstroke is a life-threatening condition where the body temperature rises to dangerously high levels. These extreme temperatures cause damage to body tissues, leading to the failure of internal organs and, ultimately, death. Unlike humans, who have sweat glands all over their bodies to help regulate temperature, dogs and cats have very few, which are located mainly around their paw pads and noses, and these provide only minimal cooling. Their primary way to release heat is through evaporation by panting, but once panting is no longer enough and/or effective, the body starts to overheat. This can quickly lead to hyperthermia and then heatstroke. Heatstroke is a medical emergency, and it can become fatal in under an hour.

Which animals are more susceptible to heatstroke?

Some animals will be more susceptible to heat stroke, these includes pets that are, or have:

• Overweight
• Heart and/or cardiovascular disease
• Brachiocephalic anatomy of the head
• Thick and/or long coat
• Respiratory disease and/or breathing difficulties
• Very young pets
• Old pets
• Smaller pets, like guinea pigs, rabbits etc. 

Symptoms

Signs of heat stroke are: 

• Heavy panting and difficulty breathing, which increase in severity as the heat stroke progresses.
• Gums and/or tongue that are bright red, purple, or pale.
• Excessively drooling.
• Uncoordinated movements, hyperactivity and/or restlessness.
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting.
• Glassy eyes, dilated pupils .
• Elevated heart rate.
• Appearing lethargic or drowsy.
• Collapse, seizure, coma.
• Muscle tremors, trembling.

First Aid

Cooling your pet prior to taking them to the vet majorly increases their chances of survival. Some sources claim a range of 50% up to 80%. If your pet suffers from heat stroke: 

1. Move the animal to a cool and shaded area. 
2. For young and healthy dogs, submerge their body in cold water. This can also be used for cats, but only if they let you and it doesn’t stress them. Do not submerge the head underwater.
3. For old and/or unwell pets, or when submersion is not possible such as with most cats, large dogs, or when no large body of water is available, you should apply cool water over the animal and add air movement from a fan/air conditioner. For cats, you can also rub them with a damp cold towel if applying cool water is too stressful for them.
4. Give the animal small amounts of cold water to drink. Do not force the animal.
5. Take the animal immediately to the vet, even if they seem to improve. The vet will assess the severity of the heat stroke and will provide treatment if required. 

* Animals that are unconscious will stop panting, despite still having a very high temperature. Cooling is still needed. 

* While cooling, make sure the animal doesn’t inhale water.

Prevention

To avoid heatstroke:

• Be mindful of the weather. On hot and/or humid days, exercise in the early morning or late afternoon, or not at all. Be aware that heatstroke can happen at any time of the day, including at night.  
• Make sure your pet always has water available, and make sure to take water on dog walks. 
• Never leave pets in cars or hot rooms.
• Hot surfaces, like pavement and sand, burn. If you can’t hold your hand on it, it is too hot for your pet to walk on.
• If your pet has predisposing factors to heatstroke, be extra mindful. These include: obesity, heart/cardiovascular disease, brachiocephalic anatomy of the head (also known as flat-faced or snub-nosed breeds), a thick and/or long coat, respiratory disease/breathing difficulties, and very young, or very old pets.

Feeling unsure and need some guidance?
Take a look at the recommendations on the Climate Compass for direction, but remember to trust your own judgment based on your unique situation.

The latest advice

Best practices when it comes to first AID are ever-changing. Sadly, many articles online never get updated, and out-of-date advice will keep circulating. When it comes to heatstroke, the Royal Veterinary College did research on heatstroke in dogs, and found that our pets suffer from outdated first aid practices, and called for updated guidance and promotion of the new guidelines for heatstroke in dogs. The conclusion of their research, “Cooling Methods Used to Manage Heat-Related Illness in Dogs”: 

1. Cool first, transport second
2. Cooling is best done by cold water immersion for young and healthy dogs. For older and unwell dogs, by application of cool water on the animal alongside air movement from a fan/air conditioner. 

Where does this differ from the old advices?

Commonly advised was to cool pets slowly, but research currently suggests that rapid cooling has better results. In line with this, in the old guidelines, cold water was to be avoided, and tepid water advised. In the new guidelines, the use of cool, or even cold water, has the preference. However, tepid water, or for a matter of fact any water cooler than the body temperature of the overheated pet, is always better than no water at all.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke is, unfortunately, a common emergency seen by vets here in the UAE. By recognising the signs early and providing first aid, a pet’s chances of recovery can increase significantly. Through this article, we hope to help pet owners understand how to prevent, recognise, and respond to heatstroke, because keeping our furry friends safe is our top priority. All our pet sitters and dog walkers are trained to recognise the signs of heatstroke and know how to respond in an emergency.

If you would like more information about our pet sitting, dog walking, pet relocation or dog training services. Feel free to contact us, our team will be happy to help.