| Many dog owners think about heatstroke as being | | | | thing you need to do is try to bring down your |
| a problem that occurs in the summer. They take | | | | dog's temperature using water and air. Take your |
| precautions to make sure their dog does not | | | | dog to a place that is well ventilated and shady. |
| overexert itself and stays well hydrated. | | | | If possible, submerse your dog in cool water. Do |
| However, some dogs succumb to heatstroke in | | | | not use extremely cold water or ice, since that |
| the spring and fall because owners tend to be less | | | | constricts the blood vessels and actually reduces |
| cautious. | | | | the transfer of heat out of the body. |
| Factors that could lead to heatstroke include: | | | | If you don't have a place to submerge the dog, |
| - Heat | | | | run water over him using a hose. Focus on the |
| - High humidity | | | | groin area because there are lots of blood vessels |
| - Physical activity | | | | there. Cooling those blood vessels will lead to rapid |
| - Being overweight | | | | cooling of the blood throughout the dog's body. |
| - Stress | | | | Do not cover your dog with a wet towel. You |
| - Inadequate ventilation | | | | want the water to be able to evaporate, which |
| - Dehydration | | | | aids in the cooling process. |
| - Medications | | | | Once you have taken the emergency steps to |
| - Genetic predisposition (dogs with short noses) | | | | cool your dog, get him to a vet as quickly as |
| - Age | | | | possible. Have the air conditioner blowing on the |
| Signs that indicate your dog is suffering from | | | | dog to continue the cooling process. If you don't |
| heatstroke include: | | | | have an air conditioner in your car, open all the |
| - panting frantically | | | | windows to allow for plenty of air flow. |
| - racing heartbeat | | | | Never place a dog that is having a heatstroke in a |
| - nose and paw pads that are warm to the touch | | | | crate. The crate prevents evaporation and does |
| - gums that look muddy pink (rather than the | | | | not allow enough airflow. |
| healthy reddish-pink they should be) | | | | Once at the clinic, your vet will most likely put |
| - tongue may be very red | | | | your dog on intravenous (IV) fluids, as well as do |
| - may act confused, blind, and exhausted | | | | lab work to monitor kidney and liver function, |
| - may become weak | | | | since those organs can be damaged during a |
| - may collapse | | | | heatstroke. |
| Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. The first | | | | |