Summertime and Your Pets

Summertime and Your Pets

By Dr. Julie Molitoris

Summertime is a great time of the year for both you and your pets!  The kids are out of school, leading to more attention to your pets, we tend to be outside much more enjoying the weather, and there are all the summertime events where we bring our pets.

Our pets love summer, but unfortunately it is not without its risks.   Summertime is our emergency department's busiest time of the year, where we see an increase in heat stroke cases, lacerations, animals being hit by cars, flea infestations, and many others.   This blog will mainly discuss heat stroke and your dogs.  Heat stroke is possible in cats but much less common. 

Heat stroke is defined as having a body temperature over 105 or 106 degrees fahrenheit.  Dogs and cats normal body temperatures range from 100-102.5 degrees fahrenheit.  When  a dog's body temperatures reaches as high as 105 or higher for an extended period of time, it can lead to serious consequences including multiple organ failure, inability to clot their blood, seizures, and death.   Many affected animals are hospitalized for days receiving intensive care, and even with the best treatment many not survive.  This makes it very important to monitor your pets.  The most important factor to help prevent heat stroke is to know what causes it and which animals are predisposed.  In addition, it is important to know what to do in the case of an emergency!

Although sometimes inconvenient for us, a great way to manage heat and stay cool is through sweating.  As we sweat, water evaporates off our skin, which helps to cool us.  However, many people are not aware that dogs and cats cannot sweat.  Their main way to handle heat is with panting,  allowing air to reach their tongue and gums.   Some dogs have more difficulty panting and relieving heat than others.  This makes them predisposed to heat stroke.  The most common breeds we see are the “smooched” face breeds, otherwise known as brachycephalic breeds.  These breeds actually have a smaller windpipe diameter and excess tissue in the back of their throat (longer than normal soft palate and everted laryngeal tissues) making it much more difficult to breathe. 

A panting English Bulldog - one of the most common brachycephalic breeds we see.

Another at risk pet is the older Labrador retriever, which can develop paralysis of the larynx, which causes them to have difficulty breathing.    These older labs will have very heavy/loud breathing, sometimes referred to as "roaring," and be very stressed.  In addition, any pet with a history of a heart problem will have less tolerance for hot weather. 

When dogs that have difficulty breathing get hot or stressed, it causes them even more stress, which creates a vicious cycle, adding more to their body temperature, and making the situation worse very fast.  We see the most cases of heat stroke when dogs are exercised in the middle of a hot summer day, when dogs are left in cars with no air circulation, and when dogs are left outside with no shade or cool water to drink.  All of these cases are made much worse when the above discussed breeds or predisposing factors are present.   If you have a pet with a predisposing factor,  it is even more important to monitor them closely!

Signs of heat stroke include excessive panting, stress/agitation, restlessness, an elevated heart rate, red gums, collapse or an inability to get up, and seizures.  If any of these symptoms are seen, especially if dogs are out in the heat or have predisposing factors, then it is important to seek veterinary attention immediately.  If you are suspicious of heat stroke, douse your dog in cool water (NOT cold water or ice water), take your dog out of the heat, calm them down, and then get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Other tips for your pet's summertime safety include the following:

• Always keep your pet on a leash in public to avoid unnecessary dogs fights, injuries, and car accidents. 
• Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car during warm months.
• Always keep a close eye on your pets to make sure they are not getting into things they should not, such as at cookouts and other gatherings. 
• Please do not use any over the counter medications on your pets without approval from your veterinarian.   

We hope this helped prove the importance of monitoring your pets in summertime!  If you are ever concerned, please take your dog to see a veterinarian, or at least call to consult them over the phone.  The message to take home today is monitor your pets - the faster we catch heatstroke and treat it, the less likely we will have serious consequences.