By: Dr. Fiona Caldwell
It’s summertime! With rising temperatures and time off school come vacations, fun in the sun and time with family. The heat, sun and summer activities can also bring some perils, especially to the furry members of your family. While there are a number of things you can do to keep your pets healthy, like ensuring they have pet insurance, knowing the following things can help keep your pets safe this summer.
Heat stroke is a very deadly threat to pets. Heat stroke is defined as severe hyperthermia, with temperatures sometimes over 105 degrees. The animal can suffer severe internal damage to important organs, especially the brain. Dogs don’t sweat like we do, and their only means of cooling themselves is by panting. While in the right combination of circumstances any dog could potentially suffer from heat stroke, the dogs most at risk are those that have difficulty breathing, such as older dogs with underlying respiratory disease and ‘brachycephalic’ (short snout) breeds.
Signs of heat stroke include rapid breathing and heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and depression. As heat stroke progresses, severe respiratory distress, gray or purple gum, seizures, and eventually collapse can be seen. NEVER douse your pet in water if you believe they are suffering heat stroke, lowering the body temperature too quickly can be lethal. Immediate veterinary attention is paramount.
Signs of heat stroke include rapid breathing and heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and depression. As heat stroke progresses, severe respiratory distress, gray or purple gum, seizures, and eventually collapse can be seen. NEVER douse your pet in water if you believe they are suffering heat stroke, lowering the body temperature too quickly can be lethal. Immediate veterinary attention is paramount.
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