Scorching temperatures have swept the United States this summer. In the Pacific Northwest we have broken record after record. This week when my outdoor thermometer hit 105 degrees, I caught myself grousing that you could probably fry an egg on the pavement. So I tried it. In about 20 minutes the egg had cooked to “over-easy.” My dog Ernie was in heaven when he went out for a potty break and found it.
Fun and games aside, hot weather can present a very real danger to pets. Heat exhaustion, or its more extreme form, heatstroke, are not only brought on by confinement in a hot car, as I disgussed in my last blog. Just plain overheating no matter what the environment can be dangerous. And obviously, exercising too much on a hot day can result in heatstroke. Summer exercise should be done in the morning or evening for the safety of our four-legged friends in fur coats.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke
Signs of heatstroke include excessive panting, a racing heartbeat, foaming at the mouth, depression or lethargy, or conversely, agitation. The pet might vomit, and the tongue and gums will be bright red in the beginning, but will become blue or gray as shock sets in. As the body temperature rises, the pet will eventually lose consciousness and may die if not treated quickly.
Dogs cool themselves by panting. The short-muzzled dogs like Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, Pekingese, and Shi Tzus are at greater risk of heatstroke, so be extra careful with them.
How to Save Your Pet’s Life
If you find your pet showing signs of heatstroke, cooling them down is urgent. But ice water shouldn’t be used, because it will shock their system. Soaking in a bathtub won’t do the trick either, because the water in the tub will warm up and do little to cool them.
One of the best ways to cool dogs quickly without shocking their system is to turn a garden hose on them. Be sure after soaking them with water not to confine them to a crate. They need good ventilation to help the heat evaporate. Turn on a fan or move them to an air conditioned room if available.
For cats, put a fan near their favorite spot, or wrap them very briefly in a chilled towel. (You might enjoy a chilled towel around your own neck, so keep a supply in the frij.) Be sure to remove the towel and renew it with another chilled towel frequently so that you don’t trap body heat around your cat as the towels absorb the heat.
Pet sitter saves dog
Last summer, pet sitter Shelley Thomas arrived at a client’s house on a 90 degree day. The client had just had her carpets cleaned, because her elderly dog had begun to lose bowel control. Knowing her pet sitter would be stopping by mid-afternoon to give him a potty break, and not expecting such a spike in the tempature, she left him in his crate in the house. The heat build up inside the crate nearly killed him. The pet sitter, who had just taken a pet first aid class, sprung into action. She pulled him out of the crate and rushed him to the back yard where she turned the garden hose on him. Her quick thinking probably saved his life.
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