Tips to Help You Prevent Dog Heat Stroke
Dog heat stroke usually occurs when your dog is left standing or swimming in a hot area without being cooled down. He may not be experiencing life-threatening circumstances but the result is still death by asphyxiation. Your dog’s body will heat up very quickly as it tries to cool down and if not cooled down rapidly enough, death will occur within minutes. Heatstroke happens when the dog has no way of cooling down as he has no respiration and cannot generate any sweat to evaporate the water in his system.
If you think that your dog might suffer from dog heat stroke, you should contact a vet as soon as possible to get him checked out. There are a few things that can help to prevent heat stroke, which include frequent walks, giving him lots of water to drink, providing a good shelter from the sun, and taking him for vigorous exercise. If the weather is hot and you let your dog go outside in it, he will typically cool down very quickly. The sun will help to keep his coat tangle free, as well as drying off any sweat that might be building up on his body.
There are a variety of symptoms that can occur when your dog is suffering from dog heat stroke. Signs of asphyxiation include vomiting, dizziness, depression, seizures, and collapse. As the brain does not receive enough oxygen, your dog will begin to hallucinate, experience confusion, and drooling. Seizures can even lead to loss of consciousness and death. A well-trained vet will be able to recognize these signs in your pets and be able to administer the proper treatment.
There are many ways to prevent dog heat stroke and one of them is to provide fluid therapy to your pets. This will help to keep their systems regulated. When the levels of fluids are reduced in the system, seizures are less likely to occur and the chances of a fatal case of asphyxiation decreases. When this condition occurs, fluid therapy should be done immediately.
Dogs that suffer from dog heat stroke will have red gums. The cause behind this is excessive salivation. When your pet’s gums become reddened, they may start to bleed because of the swelling that occurs in their mouth. You should watch for any signs of bleeding because this can indicate the onset of gangrene or other serious medical conditions. Symptoms include excessive salivation, bloody gums, decreased appetite, blood in the stool or urine, severe respiratory distress, and death.
It is important to supply your pets with fresh water on a regular basis. Although canned foods will keep your dog’s body hydrated, fresh water will keep his system regulated. Your vet may recommend using a hygienic formula that will aid in cleaning the teeth and allowing the body to properly digest food. Fresh water should always be available at all times for your pet through the use of a drinking bowl and fresh-water bottle, or by filling a drinking bowl with fresh water and topping it with fresh water periodically.
A number of health problems can occur if your dog overheats. Heat exhaustion is the most common cause. Although not deadly, it can be very uncomfortable and could leave your dog distressed and even suffering from stress. Heat stroke symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, heart palpitations, and a loss of consciousness. If you witness any of these symptoms then you should take your pet to the vet immediately.
Some additional warning signs that your dog is experiencing heat stroke include excessive panting, licking, and eye drooling. Excessive panting can indicate a serious condition because when the animal sweats it can cause an electrical current to be conducted through its skin. This current can be extremely dangerous and it can cause extreme damage to the muscle and internal organs. Heat stroke will affect any dog over two years old and can be fatal.