It’s time to break out the barbeque, sit pool side, and sip some summer spirits.  Temperature is in the high 80’s and you can already tell … the “dog days” of summer are about to begin.  We all kick our kids outside … say “go have fun in the sun”, and they come back to us tired, sweaty, hungry and ready to do it all again the next day.  As you know … all warm blooded mammals need to maintain a constant body temperature, and while the actual temperature may differ from species to species, it must remain constant just the same.  Did you know that the average human being has over 2 million sweat glands located all over the body?  Did you know that when we (humans) sweat, what we are actually doing is cooling ourselves.  That’s right … whether it is due to working muscles, or metabolism, or external temperatures, sweating is the body’s primary way of cooling itself in order to maintain its constant body temperature.

So, the temperatures are soaring, and a few minutes of vigorous activity leave you wet and sticky, but your dog only pants.  He isn’t wet, sticky, smelly … WHY!

The majority of animal’s sweat glands are located on their paw pads

Compare … if you will … the surface area of the entire human body with the surface area of an animal’s paw pads … that’s not very many sweat glands.  So how do they cool themselves?

Dogs cool themselves primarily through the process of panting and breathing, with the moist lining of their lungs serving as the evaporative surface.  Dogs are also able to dissipate heat by dilating (expanding) blood vessels in their face and ears.  This allows for the blood to cool by forcing it to flow closer to the skin.  The bottom line is, even with these tools, animals in general are not very efficient at cooling themselves when external temperatures and humidity are a mitigating factor.

Significant play, or even a long walk on a really hot day can lead to hyperthermia (core temperature too high) and eventually heat stroke and possible death.  An animal’s normal body temperature ranges between 100-102°F.  If their body’s core temperature rises to 105-106°F, heat exhaustion may occur.  At 107°F, heat stroke may occur with potential catastrophic consequences including, but not limited to brain damage or even death.

Situations to Avoid:

• Do not leave your pet outdoors without access to shade and water
• Exercising your pet in hot humid weather can put your pet at significant risk even if they have access to water
• Do not leave your pet in a car, even with the windows cracked/open
• Puppies, senior pets, pets with heavy coats (Husky, German Shepherd, Chow Chow etc.), and those animals with significant medical histories are more sensitive to high temperatures because they cannot acclimatize effectively enough
• Animals with short snouts (Shih Tzu, Pug, Eng. Bull Dog, Boxer, Pekingese, Persian Cats) are particularly susceptible due to their flat faces that already make breathing difficult

What to Watch for:

• Excessive panting, labored breathing, increased heart rate, and respiratory effort
• Mucous membranes (gums) bright red with a capillary refill time less than 1 sec. To test, press gently on his/her gums with your finger nail.  If it returns to original color in under 1 second … this is too fast
• Dehydration.  To check skin turgor, simply pull up on the skin directly above shoulder blades.  If it returns to normal position quickly, you pet is NOT dehydrated.
• High body temperature (greater than 104°F, must be taken rectally)
• Bloody Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Lethargic/Collapse
• Seizure/Coma

What to do in Case of Emergency:

• You need to cool your pet down.  Use lukewarm/ cool water, and wet your pet entirely using wet towels to wrap him/her.
• Use rubbing alcohol on the paw pads of his/her feet.
• Place him/her in an air conditioned car, and get to your vets office or the nearest emergency facility immediately for supportive care.

Once the cooling process has started, your pet is not out of danger yet.  When the internal temperature is elevated for any period of time, the internal thermostat has been compromised.  This means that if you cool the pet too much, the temperature may go too low, creating another emergency situation.  It is best to get your pet to the nearest veterinary facility so that they may properly monitor your pets temperature along with the integrity of all internal organs and processes.