Unexpected, fast, and deadly. Heatstroke. A life-threatening condition where the body temperature reaches abnormally high levels. These high temperatures cause heat damage to the tissues of the body, which then leads to the shut-down of internal organs, and eventually results in death. Unlike humans, who regulate their body temperature through the many sweat glands all over their body, dogs and cats only have a few sweat glands which are located at their paw pads and around their noses. These sweat glands only help minimally when it comes to dispersing heat. The primary way for dogs and cats to release heat is by panting. Once our pets can’t cool themselves enough through panting, hyperthermia, and eventually, heatstroke can occur. Heat stroke is an immediate medical emergency and can lead to death 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:
- Move the animal to a cool and shaded area.
- 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.
- 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.
- Give the animal small amounts of cold water to drink. Do not force the animal.
- 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
What you can do to avoid heat stroke:
- 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. Always have water available 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.
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”:
- Cool first, transport second
- 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
A common emergency seen at vets in the UAE. By recognizing heatstroke in a timely manner and providing first aid, the chances of survival of the pet increase drastically. Through this article, we hope to have informed pet owners how they can prevent, recognize and provide first aid when it comes to heatstroke. Because the safety of our fur clients is our priority, all our pet sitters and dog walkers are knowledgeable about the different aspects of heatstroke. 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.