ALL ABOUT DOGS: Help Max beat the summer heat with extra care, precautions
Question: Our dog fits into one of the categories you mentioned last week in terms of being at elevated risk of heat-related problems. He's a Boston terrier. How could I ever tell if he's in heat distress and what should I do if that happens?
Answer: The number of dogs who die each year from the heat is not exactly known but it's at least several hundred. With a brachycephalic (short-nosed) dog like yours, I would be extremely careful when you take him out for a walk in the summertime. As I mentioned last week, dogs like yours are at a much higher risk because they are "inefficient panters."
Some of the suggestions I mentioned last week are important to keeping your dog safe. Things like exercising when the sun is lower in the sky and making sure your dog has water available, but the No. 1 killer of dogs every summer is being left in a hot car.
On just a merely "warm" day, temperatures inside your car can spike to lethal levels in minutes. Parked cars quickly trap heat and, according to the American Veterinary Association, when it’s only 70 degrees outside, the temperature inside your car with the windows closed can hit about 90 degrees in 10 minutes. If the ambient temperature is 85°, the temperature inside your car with the windows opened slightly will reach 102 in about 10 minutes.
Florida has anti-cruelty laws for leaving Max in your hot car. If convicted, you'd likely spend some time in jail, and most certainly will receive a fine up to $5,000. Florida also is one of many states having provisions protecting citizens from civil liability for vehicle damage (for broken car windows) when removing pets from hot cars.
But let's say you accidentally overstress Max in the heat. If he's in heat trouble, his eyes will get glassy, and he'll pant a little more desperately. Other signs of heat distress are rapid heartbeat, labored breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, and a deep red or purple tongue. If your dog seizes, it may be too late to save him.
If you think a dog may be on the verge of a heatstroke, the first thing to do is move the dog immediately to the shade or preferably air conditioning. Then call a vet. Tell them what's going on, and that you're headed their way. Then they can be prepared when you get there.
Start cooling the dog's core by offering him small amounts of cool, not cold, water. A large volume of water all at once might make him vomit. Take his temperature if possible. A dog's normal temperature is no higher than 102.5, so if it's to 104, you need to start cooling procedures.
Never put water in a dog's mouth who can't swallow on his own. Use a hose, wet towels or any other source of cool water that's handy, and concentrate on cooling his head, neck, the areas underneath his front and back legs, and his foot pads. Carefully cool his tongue, if possible, but don't let water run into his throat because it could get into his lungs. If possible, get Max into a tub of cool water and put a fan on him.
Continue to check his temp every few minutes, and if it gets to or below 104, stop the cooling process. Further cooling can lead to blood clotting or a body temperature that’s too diminished.
A temperature of 104 is the point when you should load him up and head to the vet, even if he seems to be recovering because the vet will have a number of tests to perform. Instead of having to go through all of that, we could just be careful stewards of our dogs safety in the heat.
Originally from Louisiana, Gregg Flowers is a local dog trainer who “teaches dogs and trains people.” Contact him at dogteacher7@aol.com or dogsbestfriendflorida.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: GREGG FLOWERS: Keep a watchful eye on Max to beat the summer heat
