Tip of the Week: Preventing Heat Stroke

The weather is warming up! Here’s are tips for heat stroke prevention for your pets.

We’re getting close to the time of year that we have to worry about heat stroke. In fact, this particular time of year when we are having sporadic very warm days is perhaps more dangerous than late July or August when it is hot all the time. This is because we aren’t prepared and we don’t realize how hot it really is outside before it’s too late.

What is heat stroke?

• Heat stroke is hyperthermia which means your pet has overheated. Hyperthermia may be a life-threatening condition, and does require immediate treatment. Any time the body temperature is higher than 105°F, a true emergency exists.

• Excessive core body temperature eventually results in the destruction of cell proteins, tissue degeneration, and tissue death. This causes damage to the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain, liver, and heart leading to kidney failure, sepsis, diarrhea, vomiting, cerebral edema, coma, and heart and liver failure. Tissue damage occurs when core body temperatures are above 107°F  for a significant length of time. Body temperatures greater than110°F for just a few minutes result in death.

What causes heat stroke?

• Locked in a hot car: This is probably the most common cause for heat stroke in dogs and cats. On a pretty spring or summer day, owners will crack the windows and leave a pet in a car for “just a couple minutes” while they run into the store. What many people don’t realize is that cars heat up much more quickly than we expect. When left in a car on a relatively cool (70°F) day; a recent study from Stanford University Medical Center found the temperature within a vehicle may increase by an average of 40°F within one hour regardless of outside temperature. And that’s a cool day, imagine if it’s 80°F or 90°F out! Not only that, our pets have fur coats on ALL THE TIME and cannot cool themselves as effectively as we can. So, what is “a little warm” for us is unbearably hot for your pet. Every year, there is at least one news report of a dog who has died after being locked in a hot car. Cracking open the windows is NOT sufficient to keep your pet cool. Just leave the pets at home if you need to go to the store even if it is “just a couple minutes.”
• Too much exercise on a warm day: Animals’ bodies adapt to the environment around them just like ours do. Last Sunday felt HOT and it was only in the 80s but it felt much warmer because our bodies have become acclimated to cooler temperatures over the winter. As the weather is consistently staying warmer, we will acclimate to warm weather and suddenly a 70°F day will feel cool compared to the usual July high 80°F to 90°F. Same thing with our pets. They will overheat more easily on the first few hot days of late spring/early summer than they will in late summer. This is not to say they cannot heat stroke later in the season but their bodies have acclimated to the temperature changes and it is slightly less likely. Because of the acclimation to cooler temperatures, early hot weather is more devastating. Our pets don’t always do what is in their own best interest: they will continue to romp and run even if they are overheating and it isn’t until they collapse or pass out that they stop. By that point, they’re hyperthermic and treatment needs to be instituted immediately. You are responsible for limiting your pets’ activity levels.
• Left outside without water or shade: Whether your pet is outside all the time or just for some extended playtime during an especially beautiful day, they can overheat. Actually, of the two groups, the pets that are NOT outside all the time are most likely to become hyperthermic because they aren’t used to it.

***Brachycephalic breeds (flat-faced breeds of cats and dogs) are more prone to heat stroke because they don’t breathe as easily as other pets and therefore cannot pant as efficiently. Panting is your pet’s primary means of cooling.

How can I prevent heat stroke in my pets?

• Animals kept outside need a constant supply of fresh, clean water to drink. Even if it’s just extra playtime outside, put out a bowl of water. You can even throw a couple ice cubes in the water bowl to help keep it cool on hot days.
• Dogs that are kept outside need to have access to a cool, shaded area as well as a constant supply of fresh, clean water. I’ve seen reports of dogs who were out on a tie-out line and had a bowl of water but the bowl was placed just out of reach and these dogs died of hyperthermia. Multiple bowls or buckets of water may be needed in case one is knocked over.
• Kiddie pools are wonderful for swimming to keep cool.
• Walk, don’t run, if your dog is generally a runner. Cut walking time in half until your pet gets used to the warmer weather and you can recognize when your pet is overheating.
• Exercise your pets during the cooler parts of the day: early morning and after sunset. The hottest times of the day are between 11am and 4pm.
• Keep pets off of hot pavement. Asphalt roadways are going to be hotter than concrete sidewalks. Grass is cooler than both.
• Do not cage animals outdoors without adequate shade or water and at very high temperatures keep pets indoors.
• Do not leave animals in closed compartments exposed to the oven effect of the sun.
• Some animals will lie in a sunny window until too stuporous to move and then be subject to heat stroke. This is more prevalent in the northern regions.
• Take increased precautions with old or obese animals or animals with heart or lung disease. These pets should not be kept outside.

I think my pet may have heat stroke, how can I tell for sure?

The best way to check for heat stroke is to take your pet’s temperature.

Early signs of heat stroke are increased heart and respiratory rate, bounding pulses, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and depression. As heat stroke progresses, severe respiratory distress, blue gums (cyanosis),  collapse, seizures, neurologic signs, bloody diarrhea and bloody vomit may develop. The previously darkened and reddish mucous membranes (such as gums) may become pale and ashen. Pulses weaken. The previously elevated body temperature may decrease to below normal, and neurological signs (seizures or coma) often precede death.

If you even suspect your pet has heat stroke, get your pet to the vet! The faster we can institute treatment the better.

What can I do to treat heat stroke?

Initiate cooling and get to the vet ASAP!

What to Do:

• Remove your pet from the environment where the hyperthermia occurred.
• Move your pet to shaded and cool environment, and direct a fan on her.
• If possible, determine rectal temperature and record it.
• Begin to cool the body by placing cool, wet towels over the back of the neck, in the armpits, and in the groin region. You may also wet the ear flaps and paws with cool water. Directing a fan on these wetted areas will help to speed evaporative cooling.
• Transport to the closest veterinary facility immediately. Be sure to have the A/C on for the drive!

What NOT to Do:

• Do not use cold water or ice for cooling.
• Do not overcool the pet.
• Most pets with hyperthermia have body temperatures greater than 105°F, and a reasonable goal of cooling is to reduce your pet’s body temperature to 102.5-103°F while transporting her to the closest veterinary facility.
• Do not attempt to force water into your pet’s mouth, but you may have fresh cool water ready to offer should your pet be alert and show an interest in drinking.
• Do not leave your pet unattended for any length of time.
• Rapidly cooling the pet is extremely important. While ice or cold water may seem logical, its use is not advised. Cooling the innermost structures of the body will actually be delayed, as ice or cold water will cause superficial blood vessels to shrink, effectively forming an insulating layer of tissue to hold the heat inside. Tap water is more suitable for effective cooling.

Severe hyperthermia is a disease that affects nearly every system in the body. Simply lowering the body temperature fails to address the potentially catastrophic events that often accompany this disorder. A pet suffering from hyperthermia should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Do you have any favorite ways of keeping your pets cool when the weather gets hot? Leave a comment and let us know!

If you are worried your pet might have heat stroke, call us at (636) 561-9122